I must say that this time of year always fills me with a sense of hope. Being a teacher and a mom, I feel like I have a pretty well-rounded perspective on the graduation thing. As the mama, you're bursting with pride. You cannot believe that your baby can now fill in the blank (read, write, pass the STAAR test, go to college, etc.). And as you watch them take that step from one chapter to the next, your heartstrings get tugged pretty stinkin' hard. And you think to yourself, "How can they be growing up so fast?" But, in the end, you're just so proud. So proud of who they are and who they are becoming.
On the other hand... As a teacher, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief, knowing you did your job and you did it well. You know that the kids that you were blessed with that year KNOW how much you love them and how much you want for them. They are well-prepared for their upcoming journey, and they know who to call on if they get lost on their way. Like your own children, you are so proud of who your students are and who are they are becoming.
Personally speaking, this is a bittersweet end of the school year for me. I've been a teacher for 12 years (five teaching 1st grade and seven as the Gifted and Talented teacher). In fact, the first graders I taught in my very first year of teaching are getting ready to graduate. WOW!!! Time has flown. But... next year, like my students, I'm beginning a new chapter as well: I'm going back into the classroom to be a fifth grade teacher. I'm so super duper excited about it, and maybe just a little bit overwhelmed too. I'm very comfortable in my current position, but I think I'm in need of something different; a challenge. So, here we go.
One of my favorite parts of my current job is that I get to teach all grade levels (K-5), but for a long time now, it seems like fifth is always the grade I click with the best. When this school year started, I wasn't thinking about changing positions for next year. And to be honest, the group of fifth graders I teach in the GT program are really the ones responsible for my change of heart. I've grown to enjoy their company so much and look forward to my time with them. I love the
To all my students (graduating seniors, current kiddos, and everyone in between)...
What a 12 years it's been! Thank you for letting me learn right along beside you each and everyday. Please know that no matter when it was that you and I shared a classroom, you left little imprints on my heart... enough memories to fill the pages of any book.
And especially to those of you starting a new chapter of your own: Turn those butterflies in your tummy into the desire and dedication you'll need to rise to the top. I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT.
I'm so proud to have been but just a tiny part in all of your young lives. Thank you for being such a large part of mine.
Love to y'all,
Mrs. Sievers
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