Celebrate the Small Things

It's officially SUMMER VACATION! Even though I have District Math Training for 3 days next week, summer vacation has started for me. I'm sure you all would agree that the end of the year is a mix of emotions- sad to send your sweet little ones on to the next grade, heartbreak knowing you may never see some of these precious little ones again, and excitement for a teaching break. The one emotion I'm always haunted by is did I do enough? Did I challenge my bright/gifted kids, did I help the socially struggling child, did I teach enough to my below grade level ones? I always have to smack myself aside of the head and celebrate the small things. Everyone in my class will not benchmark on grade level. Every student in my class will not be ready for the next grade. But every child has grown and changed for the better. Celebrate the small stuff- The last month of school Little 'T' was able to say good bye to mom at the door (she didn't need to bring him in crying every day), Little 'M' moved from a level A to level 4 and now knows his alphabet, Little 'C' can go to the bathroom and come back on time (I don't have to go find her 15 minutes later), Little 'H' actually talks loud enough to be heard and uses lots of expression, Little 'B' is smiling and laughing (which he never did until after Christmas), Little 'K'  stopped tattling, Little 'B' wrote a series of chapter books about bongkie an imaginary creature, and the list goes on and on. At our good bye faculty party one of my favorite teachers who is moving on into the district next year, reminded me that TEACHING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THERE IS. We touch these precious little ones every single day for nine months. I may not be successful in getting them all up to grade level but at least I know I touched their lives for the better. So celebrate the small things and now go enjoy your summer!