NO MORE PENCILS

No more pencils, no more books. No more teacher's dirty looks! Note: This isn't coming from the students mouths' ... it's coming from MINE.

YIPPEE. School's over. Well, actually, toMORRow is the last day. But there is no way I'm going to in fact, be TEACHING. Instead, I'm loading myself up with 5 dozen boxes of freshly made doughnuts and then saunter into my classroom. DIG IN, KIDS! Let's celebrate!

If by chance you think the students are thrilled school is over, trust me... I am WAY more thrilled. Of course, I"m not thrilled that I won't be bringing in bucks, but I WILL love not getting up to my alarm every day. And, I'll love resuming my week night social life. And, I'll love not having to live by such strict personal schedules every day and every night. HAL- LE- LU-JAH!

On the other hand, this job has been perfect for me. And, I've really enjoyed so many of the students. One in particular. Mainly because I just found out what a great PR guy he's become on my behalf. Turns out, unbeknownst to me, this student was discussing me with the principal, my boss, and gave me A RAVE REVIEW. Which I'm thinking could possibly clinch my being offered this position again, next year. THANK YOU, MR. PR AGENT. Naturally, I had him reiterate over and over exactly how the discussion went down and yep. I think he's hired. He apparently did a great job in letting my principal know I'm liked by lots of students and even loved by some. Who could ask for more? I'm just thanking God the principal didn't approach the couple of kids who probably hate me. Now THAT could spin things in a different direction, altogether.

Anyway, another school years draws to an end. It seems like my entire life has been spent in school. Either on one side of the teacher's desk, or the other. I kinda prefer the side closest to the blackboard, however. I think what I love most about teaching are two things: 1.) I love every February, because for some reason that's the time when all your efforts from September seem to fall into place. Almost as if: the light bulb has gone off in the students' head. 2.) I also love March because it has always seemed that that's when all the children go through a kind of growth spurt. Like, after Spring Break, you can look up at your students and bingo. You see that they've really GROWN. Not merely intellectually, but physically, too.

Which is rather rewarding, if I say so myself. Knowing you've helped a kid learn something is a wonderful feeling. And, only one feeling can equal that. Yep... you guessed it. THE DAY SCHOOL IS OUT!