Biting The Bullet

I've stewed on this for months.  I love writing, and I find it therapeutic, but what do I really have to say that someone really hasn't already heard?  That thought has held me back for months, and this week, I've been encouraged by so many to just write.  So...here it goes.  I'm going to write as if this were my personal journal: the good, the bad, and the ugly!  This is where I can be honest and raw and share tears and laughs.  

As I was talking to my principal about maybe starting a blog, she mentioned she recently has been blogging.  She started with why she wanted to become a teacher.  As I thought about this, I thought it would be a good place for me to start as well because this experience and person shaped my beliefs as a teacher.  As a sophomore in high school, I was an average C student.  I coasted through, but mostly enjoyed school.  I did band, drama, and worked as a shift manager at a local pizza restaurant.  It was at band practice when my parents pulled up early.  My father got out of the car, and my stomach dropped.  I knew something was wrong. He told me my grandma passed away.  Ma lived with us, and we were extremely close.  I went to school the next day, and was telling my English teacher that I did not have a project because I had procrastinated, and was unable to do it the night before due to Ma's death.  As I was sharing this with her, someone came in and told us to turn on the T.V.  We watched the second plane hit the World Trade Centers live.  It felt like chaos.  I tried calling to see if I could just go home, but my parents were at the funeral home, so they didn't answer.  I felt stuck.  The next day, my uncle was robbed at gun point.  Everything that week swirled by, and it's hard to remember all the details.  What I DO remember is that Martha Sides, my tenth grade English teacher took the time to come to Ma's visitation.  She was the only teacher who came.  I realized that she cared about me outside of school, and it changed my life.  I was able to learn so much from her that year, and it's because of her, that I KNOW I can also make a difference in others lives.  

It's because of Mrs. Sides, that I care about my students and what happens to them outside of school.  It's because of her, that I know academics are not the most important thing...that loving people is what really matters...especially in a classroom.  If I can show my students that I care and that I love them, then they will be able to soar.