Teacher's Day

Tomorrow is Teacher's Day.  I was not aware of this little holiday until today.  A co-teacher told me that on Teacher's Day students write their teachers letters of appreciation and thanks.  She told me this as she rifled through her small stack of letters.  "Oh, I see," I replied.  I wondered if I was going to get any letters today. 


But it's 2:30pm, school is over, and I didn't receive one single letter.  My other co-teacher had a stack of them too that she was reading at lunchtime.  I wondered if it was because students felt like they'd need to write in English, and feared that their skills aren't up to par to write a nice letter.


I wouldn't have minded.  I would have loved and treasured those letters for a long, long time.  But I didn't get a single one.  Just like on Peppero Day I only got 1 box of chocolates and it was from the boy with severe Autism so I know that he hadn't really wanted to give it to me, but rather that his parents made him.

It makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong.  That I'm a bad teacher, or that I'm not reaching out to the kids.  I do feel like they like me, or at least I think they do.  About a month ago my co-teacher said that "most of the 6th graders" like me.  They do get excited when the see me in the halls.  But maybe it's just because I'm still a novelty puppet.  Even after all this time, the kids' eyes widen when they see me.  They stop dead in their tracks when I run into them at the Home Plus supermarket.

It's just a silly letter, but I really wished just ONE student had thought to give me one.  I feel like I need some legitimate recognition that I'm doing a good job.  But now I just feel let down and like I'm failing the kids.  It's heartbreaking.  And this is why, even though I keep coming back to it year after year, I feel like teaching must not be for me.

***

To end on a good note-- funny things that kids have said today:

Fill in the blank:

It's on your head

(when the answer should have been "It's on your right." or "It's on your left."

You can't mi__ it! ----> You can't milk it!

(when the answer should have said "You can't miss it!")


Conversation among students when looking at this picture for our 'Slang of the Week'

Student 1: Why is the potato sad?
Student 2: Because he has no arms or legs.