Do you ever sit and think that?
Today, I totally felt that way.
Wanna hear about why?
Well, today, our county had the privilege of getting to hear the incredible Ron Clark speak. I was able to hear him speak once about 4 years ago at my senior Teaching Fellows Conference at ECU, and his presentation then has totally stuck with me all of this time. If anyone has ever heard him speak or read any of his books, you know that Ron Clark is one of the most passionate educators that exists in this world today. He never really intended to teach, but once he got a taste of it, he couldn't pull himself away. Hearing him speak leaves you feeling ready to take on the world...and after I left from hearing him speak today, I took a quick second to pop into my classroom.
I spent a few minutes cleaning up, just picking up minor things I'd left laying out. I straightened up my current thinking spot in the room (which changes daily, and sometimes multiple times within a day), and as I was getting ready to leave, I just kind of stood there and took in all of that space.
It's mine, guys.
It's kind of awesome, I know.
Anyway, I stood there, taking in my space, thinking about how school starts in exactly one week from today. And I thought about my job, and how I get to work with kids, and help them learn, and put them on a path to make something of themselves. I thought about how I get to lift them up and love on them, and maybe give a lot of them a place where they can feel valued and safe (for many of them, this is something they don't get at home). I thought about how I can't wait to meet my kids, and how I love them all already even without knowing what they look like.
That's a lot of thinking.
But above all, I was thinking about how lucky I am. I have such a passion for children, and I have such an incredible appetite for learning...and I get to teach kids every day at my job. I get to help them grow in so many ways; I get to develop great relationships with each of them that are unique. I teach them; they teach me. Life is good.
Life is so good, y'all.
So, as I walked out of school for the second time today, I walked out with happiness in my heart. I'm so lucky. And I can only hope that I'll always be able to appreciate that.
"Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life." ~Henry L. Doherty
♥ Marlee
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