Wow, what an amazing year of getting to touch so many different children's lives. It made it worth subbing for a year, but it has also given me the itch to want to come back into the classroom and teach again more than ever. The subbing experience has shown me that I can teach older children and do it well and still have the energy to keep up with Kindergarten! My positive attitude has made many children, teachers, administrators, etc. keep smiles on their faces and in turn that makes others smile!
Without further ado, here are my top 10 moments from the past school year!
#10 - Making terrific relationships with students, teachers, and parents at so many different schools.
#9 - A Kindergarten student two different times hopping up and down on her balcony to yell good morning to me.
#8 - Getting in the dunk tank in Titusville at Fox Lake Park. A week later I subbed in a Kindergarten class in a nearby city. The mother dropped a boy off who was crying because his teacher wasn't there. I went up to him and reminded him that he and his brother had dunked me not once, but notice each. He immediately stopped crying and became my buddy the rest of the day! It was nice to touch his life by getting in that dunk tank, which I was so nervous to do!
#7 - A wonderful 3rd grader bringing me a balloon for Valentine's Day and then again for my birthday.
#6 - Having the best birthday in the world at a wonderful school. The office clerk went above and beyond by making me a chocolate cake, giving me 3 balloons (the last one didn't deflate until 2 days before school got out - over 2 months after my birthday!), and a card signed by everyone in the office. She then had Kindergarten sing Happy Birthday to me. An amazing parent of another Kindergarten child in another class who is also the cashier at the school had the kids sing to me again! Then in the cafeteria when I went to say hi to the amazing 3rd and 4th graders, a teacher took the microphone and had the entire cafeteria sing Happy Birthday to me! It was wonderful seeing so many children in different grades smiling ear to ear as they sang to me. A few got out of their seats and even came running to me.
#5 - Several Kindergarten children, 1st graders, 2nd graders, and 3rd graders telling me how much they want me to teach them next year. These children were at different schools!
#4 - A wonderful Kindergarten student wrote I love you, Mr. H. on a dry erase board. I told her that I loved her too. She went back to that dry erase board and started writing, then asked me how do you spell more. I told her and she said I had to read it again. She wrote I love you more.
#3 - Spending 3 amazing days in a Kindergarten class in a row (would later sub for them many more times) and getting a call from the secretary to come back to sub for them because all they did was constantly talk about me the entire next week. Throughout the rest of the school year, the children ended up running up to hug me many times while in line and lunch and always asking me when will we see you again? They made me miss having my own Kindergarten class so much. I miss these children a bunch!
#2 - Subbing for an amazing group of 3rd/4th graders for an entire month. These children taught me that teaching older children can be just as rewarding and fun. They continued to fill my bucket with kindness by always going out of their way to make me smile even after I left them. Many of these children have asked me to teach them next year, which is so sweet! I sure do miss these wonderful children!
DRUMROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#1 - A wonderful sweet 3rd grader who came up to me and told she had something personal to tell me 3 days before I left the 3rd/4th graders. She started crying and told me she didn't want me to go. At another time during the year she helped another boy feel better after he stated nobody would play with him and he was in tears. She later stood up for me along with 2 other special children when I wasn't being treated kindly. This wonderful girl continued to show her kindness by going above and beyond to make me smile anytime she saw me. She is an amazing bucket filler and will be missed.
So that's my positives for this school year. I'll be back on Positive Fridays only if I get the opportunity to work with amazing children this summer. Otherwise, I'll be back with more Positive Fridays next school year! Thank you again to all the students, parents, teachers, and administrators at each school I subbed at for showering me with love and kindness. You made me feel super extra special!
Feel free to leave comments on the positives that happened during your school year!!! It would brighten my day! Keep on smilin'!
