This afternoon I was direct messaging with one of the parents of one of my students from the class I taught while living in Australia in 2009. Although I've been back in Canada for almost three years now I am still in contact with several of the families I connected with that year. For those who knew me back then, you know that my year in Australia was probably one of the most stressful teaching years of my life. And no, it wasn't the Australian education system. It was that I was placed in a school that was under going a complete transformation. I went through three principals and three assistant principals in one year. I was caught in a lot of disorganization and should never have been in that school for that one specific year. It had NOTHING to do with the students, parents, or staff specifically. It was a good community to be a part of. However as teacher wanting to do only my very best to fit into a system that was filled with constant, unpredictable changes, that I had little knowledge about, it was very stressful. Thankfully, I made it through and now have a lot of stories I can share and chuckle about.
However, despite some of the craziness I went through I also made some amazing connections. It's conversations like the one I had today that reminded me about how special that year really was.
Here's what one of the parents shared with me today with reference to her son. It has me smiling from deep down in my heart.
He misses you so much. I think you are the best teacher he has ever had. Truly.
You know that he thinks the world of you. You're a great inspiration to him and you always will be. Remember that.
Not bad for a Monday afternoon.
What makes you smile from deep down in your heart?
No comments:
Post a Comment