Just the right words

at Two Writing Teachers!

At the end of the school day today, I trudged down to the office with some student work to put in teacher mailboxes, my feet and eyelids heavy.  In the span of a week, we've had state ELL testing, parent conferences, and preparations for student scheduling. On top of that, we've dealt with some serious emotions and several social conflicts among our students.

Lately, I've also been struggling with where my students are in their learning.  So many of them have come so far since the fall, but many also still have a long way to go to reach where I want them to be.  With the year more than halfway over, I've been feeling disappointed that we haven't reached the blissful classes full of voracious readers and inspired writers that I was envisioning.  (This is why I have to keep reminding myself to celebrate the small successes!)

Anyway, when I looked in my mailbox after school, I found an irregularly-shaped interoffice mail envelope awaiting me.  Grinning, I knew there was a 99% chance that my mom's handwriting would be on the outside.  Oh boy!  Funny-shaped envelopes from my mom are the best, because she delights in sending me little surprises.  Sure enough, there was my name in her familiar lettering.

First, a neat little collection of various sticky notes in a tiny hardcover notebook! (ooh, she knows how I love sticky notes!) Next, I pulled out a copy of the latest Teaching Tolerance magazine, which has an article and a poster about having a school culture that welcomes and supports ELLs.  On the front, my mom wrote me this note:

That's right, my mom still calls me "Sweet Pea"!

Her words were exactly what I needed to hear.  I am doing it.  I'm making a difference.  I may not be doing it perfectly or even wonderfully, and it might not be going exactly like I'd hoped, but I am "doing good".  As Ruth wrote a few weeks ago, I am enough. Teaching ELLs was my dream because I wanted to change lives, and I am living that dream.  Everything I do every day makes a difference, even if it's small.

Just like that quotation from Galatians 6:9 says, someday I will get that "harvest" if I keep working hard. (In fact, a harvest is really just picking a whole bunch of little plants, and I've already seen some of them ripen!)  When I feel weary, I will pick myself back up and keep going.  I will not give up.

My students need me and I will never truly grow tired of doing good for them.