Never Forget, You Are Special!

Confessions of a Classroom teacher is the name of my blog, but what I have noticed is that I have not been holding true to that title.  I have been confessing and talking an awful lot about my life outside of school, but not about my life at school.  So figured that it is about time for me to start holding true to my blog title. (On a side note, I think I am going to start another blog that will talk about my non-school life and concentrate and being a dad, husband, and regular guy, FYI).

Only 3 days left until summer break begins.  Wow, just 3 days! (If you are already on summer break, you stink!) When you walk into my school you can feel the excitement about the upcoming summer.  There are more field trips and assemblies.  Students are getting away with some things that they couldn't have a few weeks ago (teachers kind of over looks small things at the end of the year).  You are hearing students and teachers talk about what they are going to do this summer.  There are even count downs on the chalk/white boards in almost every room.  It certainly is a fun time for everyone at school.  Well, almost everyone.

Almost everyone? Some of you are probably wondering how anyone could not be happy about school ending and summer break beginning.  I remember counting the days when I was younger, hell, when I was in college I counted the days.  Even as a teacher, I am counting the days.  But there are students, about 3 of my 26 kiddos to be exact, that are NOT excited about school ending.  Can you guess why?

I know that they first thought that came into your mind was, "Because you are an awesome teacher Kirk, duh!" Ok ok ok, maybe that wasn't your first thought :)  But what I have gathered from my conversations with these students is this; "School is where I can escape my regular life Mr. Ryan" or "I truly feel loved by you Mr. Ryan and I don't at home".  My heart truly breaks for these kids that don't want to go home.  I am even shedding a tear right now for them.  I often wonder about what I could continue to do for these students after summer break starts. What I keep coming back to is something small, but incredibly huge, that I have done with them all year. 

At the end every day my students and I have a saying before they are allowed to leave my classroom.  I cannot claim that I came up with this saying, but I love it.  Right after the bell rings I say, "Never forget" and my students say, "We are special".  And they truly are, every single one of them.  If I could only choose one thing for my students to learn from me all year, it would be that. That they are truly special, and they should never forget that.

Until Next Time,

Mr. Ryan