when i taught at my student teaching position I ended up leaving with a few really good friends...and I'm not talking teachers, I'm talking students. the town that I taught in was a blue collar neighborhood, middle class, run of the mill kind of a town. practically the same as what I'd grown up in. It was public school---where things are always good---and there was a music department that did things. that had enough teachers that no one was wishing they never became a music teacher. that had kids who came in at 6:30AM ready and rarin' to go. that had girls who understood "just because its typically a "boy who does this" doesn't mean I can't" which I loved. Those were my girls. There was a group of 4 of them in band. two flutes, a sax player and a percussionist. at first I thought that the one flute hated me. and I did whatever I could to be super nice to her, her friend, the sax player thought I hated her, which I didn't, I actually thought she was adorable and possibly one of the sweetest girls I had ever met. I really got along with these girls, they would come visit between periods and eat lunch with me and talked to me like I was one of them, came to me for advice, and taught me a whole lot about what being a middle school teacher was. When my student teaching was up, leaving those girls was the toughest part for me. luckily i started subbing the day after graduation so it wasn't long til I saw them again. But just in case I didn't go back, they had given me screen names and emails to keep in touch. We all began emailing and they sent me some of the sweetest notes I'd ever received about how big of an influence I had been for the short time I was their teacher and how much they wanted to be like me when they grew up. As time went by we decided to have a luncheon...which was meeting at applebees and grabbing lunch and talking about what was going on. Since then I talk to all of them about once a week on aim and I've been to three sweet 16's. their mothers have thanked me for providing them with such a good influence to follow and being able to listen to them about their lives when they don't want to talk to their moms and providing them with mature guidance responsibly.
They have also taught me a lot and been there to listen to me about a ton of stuff. Its funny how mature they seem sometimes, when I had issues with my ex boyfriend they told me to dump him, that it wasn't worth my aggravation. when they ask me how things are, i tell them honestly. they all know how my job has been filled with ups and downs the past couple of years and they've all been so supportive, offering help if needed and the such.
two of them have begun blogging, and have advertised their blogs over aim. its cute because they're writing it to keep a journal of their day to day activities and thoughts. and they get into so much detail. now i'm waiting for one of them to find me. haha. that should be interesting. although they know all the things i do, and often i tell them "do as i say and not as i do" or give them the "i'm older and of age to do certain things....keep that in mind". I don't say "i was out drinking" and i'd never drink in front of them...which came up at one of the sweet 16's when one girl said "wow, ms....you could drink, cause you're over 21!" (yea...they can't stop calling me miss or ms. which i find funny). and my response was "yes, i could...but i won't because that's not the example i want to set for you" then i was handed a wine glass on my way out as a favor!
my girls are some of my favorite people in the whole world, some of the kindest people i've ever met and friends that i know will be there for a long time. which makes me have hope in the youth of the world!
No comments:
Post a Comment