We’re in our final three weeks of school — my final three weeks at Hughes. My testing is over: we had three days — three days — of English testing (two reading, one writing). My grades are almost done: English 8 students have one more grade while English I Honors have three. Everything is winding down.
And those three weeks are hardly full weeks: we have another day of testing (math — poor sixth-grade students have two more days of testing because they also have a science test); we have a field trip next Friday; our last two days are half days; I’m missing one day for L’s graduation. And we’re done with Monday. So that means we have about ten more regular days of school. “Are you excited about next year?” seems to be the common refrain from my colleagues, and I freely admit that I am at such peace with this decision that I don’t think excitement is the emotion I’m feeling: confidence, surety. It will be a good thing.
This Saturday, we had the intake for students at the new school, so I got to meet a lot of students and parents. As I told them the plans I have for this class, parents continually told me, “That sounds like a very valuable class.”
Yet every now and then, it really hits me what I’m about to do. I’ve taught at that school for eighteen years now. Seventeen of those years I’ve been in the same room. I’m comfortable there. I have no surprises there. But surprises can be a good thing. I hope to have many of the next year.
We’re also closing in on L’s graduation (May 20) and her departure for college. We’re ordering things (a new laptop that’s actually more powerful than our desktop), planning things (a graduation party that will last an afternoon and evening), discussing things (upcoming exams, upcoming travel), and getting used to the idea of her being gone (not really).
And then there’s the Boy: he’s got concerts and competitions for band; he’s got his own testing worries to stress about (why do we do this to kids?); he’s got a burgeoning social life for which we provide transportation. All this as he closes in on his final year as a middle schooler.