We are a bunch of teachers on Christmas break. With nothing else to do, we decided to meet up with one another for a post-holiday brunch.
It’s nice to keep in contact even if we aren’t/won’t be at the same school together forever. I like to surround myself with like-minded individuals who truly care about the educational experiences of our students. I’m grateful everybody’s different skills contribute to their individualized role as an educator. Hernandez, the motherly one. Saldivar, the patient one. Esquivel, the no-nonsense enforcer of the rules. Franke, the bilingual one. And Manalo, the empathetic one. And me, the clown teacher.
I have no doubt we’ll all be in education for many years to come, and we will learn the hard way what it takes to survive 30+ years of teaching. I am grateful to have learned so much just from observing their interactions with children, and hope to integrate all elements of their persona into my teaching personality in the future, when I am back in social science.
Until then of course, I’ll continue trying to be the best “co-teacher” aka glorified aide in the classroom as much as possible. Even if we never see each other again, because I knew them I have been changed for good.
