Give us Strength

Within the past week, two of our 7th graders have died. I am heartbroken. After the first girl, Anthoni, passed away, I vowed to be a better teacher. While I didn't directly teach this young woman, I did see and talk to her every day. Hopefully I was always pleasant, but chances are there were days when I wasn't...when the stresses of life were overwhelming and I lost my patience or perspective. And sadly, there aren't any do overs. Often, I've come to the end of the day and told myself that I would be better tomorrow. But maybe I need to return to the basics-that people, not programs come first.

And so I vowed that I would stand up when we teachers were told that we had to spend every minute in "productive learning". That I would remind everyone of the true nature of Jr. High kids. That really, learning how to deal with peers and develop relationships is just as important as identifying key factors in the Civil War. And more than anything, I want all the students to know that day in and day out, they are the most important part of school. Their growth, whether it is in English, self-confidence, learning to dribble a basketball, finding out how to be a friend, or even just figuring out how to open the dang lockers is more important than AIMS tests, finals and multiplication tables.

While many of the 7th graders were attending Anthoni's funeral, word spread that Kim had died in a car accident. I drove straight to Ryan's shop and fell apart. It's just so much grief in such a short time. The class only had 72 kids in it, so the loss of those girls affects every kid. I just want to wrap the remaining kids up and hold them until is passes...

But as Ryan told me, life rolls on. And so, I went home, wrapped my own kids up, and vowed to be a better mother. To listen to their stories (with both ears), to look at the bugs, to take a deep breath (instead of opening my mouth) and to appreciate every precious moment we are given.