It's been three and a half months since I've updated, and to be honest a lot of this past winter is a blur. It was long, miserably cold, and one of the most stressful periods I've ever experienced. S summed it up a few days ago, while reflecting upon why it was perfectly acceptable for me to be curled up in the fetal position and crying on a Saturday afternoon: I've been simultaneously experiencing almost every major life stressor possible. I'm in a still-new relationship, moving out of a bad living situation, coping with my parents' divorce, learning the ropes in a new derby league, taking graduate courses, and continuing to learn as I go at my job.
Today I finished the second trimester at my school. It snuck up on me - it's as if I pushed my way through the entire winter with my head down, bracing against the cold, and hadn't realized I'd reached the end until it was here. I spent the last day of the term enjoying the sunshine, watching my students play softball with several other teachers. It was a half-day for students, with teachers staying for parent-teacher conferences in the afternoon. PTC was easy this time around. We had a low turnout and most of the parents I saw were parents of our latest batch of graduates who came by to express their appreciation. Those visits tend to be either fun or emotional, and I got a mix last night. One mother was in tears as she clutched my hand and thanked me for supporting her son. I have to admit that he was one of my favorites. I suppose we're not supposed to have favorites, but is that realistic? This kid came to our school after spending time in a South American prison, but he's one of the nicest kids you'd ever meet. He once told me that our school was his saving grace. What do you say when the mother of a kid like that thanks you for helping him graduate? I feel odd being thanked, as that's one of the best parts of my job.
I passed another student who was borderline at best. I knew he needed my class to graduate, and he'd struggled through it the whole term. In the end, I couldn't rationalize failing him, so I gave him some extra work and passed him with a 65. During PTC this afternoon, I took to wandering the halls in boredom in between visits with parents. During one of my stolls, a counselor called me up to the sign-in table in the lobby. She pointed at my student who was hanging around the table, and said he had something to say to me. In front of all of the counselors at our school, he thanked me as well as he shook my hand.
I don't think teachers hear the words "thank you" very often, at least not in sincerity. A little selfishly, it was nice to hear after so many months of hard work.
This last term is going to be difficult for new reasons - the Regents are a few short months away, I'm prepping more courses than I have before, and the spring weather is bound to exacerbate attendance problems among students. Still, I can feel the rejuvenation period beginning. It looks like I'll make it through this first year after all.
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