As my students left school on the last day, they left knowing that I truly care about them and that I want the best for them as they head off to middle school in the fall. Even my most challenging behavioral student gave me a look that said, "thanks for everything." He even promised me that he would try hard to make good choices next year and come back to tell me. I will miss them all. My appreciation for them comes from all that I learned from them. I learned what I need to do to be a more effective teacher, how to listen to them when they need me to, how to take their home life into consideration and how to remind myself that I must behave the same way that I expect my students to behave.
In addition to making connections, the reflection journals I created in my class are an essential part of who I am as a teacher. My hopes are that they force the student to reflect and to maybe live more in the moment on any given day.
I appreciate all that I learned this school year and hope to continue learning and inspiring new students in the fall.
