End of the line...

Well, the time for teaching is done. Next week it's three days of finals and then I bid the school year a fond farewell. I really enjoyed this assignment and I will miss the school, the staff and even 6th period. Friday was an eventful day for the kids because of a couple of events that happened that day.

The first thing was the 8th grade dance. Now not just any 8th grader could go, you had to be graduating and you could not have gotten into serious trouble in the last few weeks. Needless to say, there were some excited and disappointed 8th graders that 6th period when the tickets were handed out. This was followed by the second event of the day. An 8th grade assembly during 6th period. The students got to see some of their fellow 8th graders perform (they did quite well) and a video presentation was put together including lots of photos and some messages from the teachers. Yours truly was asked to give a short message and I had totally forgotten about it until the video started and I saw some of the other teachers give their speeches. I didn't think that I would get much of a reaction because I am pretty hard on my kids and don't let them goof off etc.

Imagine my shock when the gym erupted the second I appeared on the screen. I'm embarrassed to admit that I got the second loudest cheer of all the teachers who appeared in the video. Only one of the science teachers got a better reception, and boy does she deserve it. She is an awesome teacher who tutors the kids after school and just loves what she does. She was thinking about leaving the school this year but the principal talked her out of it, and the cheer she received enforced the fact that she is an incredible teacher who is right where she belongs.

Speaking of belonging, I found out this morning while shopping at Target that I got the internship at the Agassi school. I am very excited about the prospect of teaching my chosen subject for an entire year at the same school. When I decided to teach, I really wanted to teach at risk kids, and these kids really qualify for at risk. That school is in the worst part of Las Vegas. I already have a couple of projects in mind for them and I'm hoping to have my brother in law come in and talk to my students about working in Radio and what it takes to get into the business. (He's a reporter for KGO radio in San Francisco) Of course he does not know this... yet! But I'm hoping that he would be willing to come down, if for no other reason than to see his niece and nephew.

Three days and then school's out for the summer. Except for the kids who have to take summer school... heh!