Culminating an Undergraduate/Graduate Student Teaching Run with Two Student Teaching Gems as They Wind Up Their Work

Kelly and Joanna were in an Extending Literacy course for grades 3-5 a few years ago, and stayed on to do their graduate student teaching in southern Connecticut schools. They said they wanted a dinner before they headed off into the great unknown, so I took them to Lil' Pub in Stratford on a beautiful June Friday before another rainy weekend arrives our way. We also played with the dogs on the back patio and talked about the experience, their hopes for the future, and the semester that just was. 

It was pure joy all the way around. 

During the day, Max and I finalized a writing project and send it out for journal review, and worked on his Newman Civic Award - also a wonderful reminder that I still do the work I set out to do. 

Delicious food, payback for all the mentors who took me under their wings as a beginning teachers, and a total investment into the future of K-12 teaching. The world is not like it was when I earned my certification, and definitely unlike the many years I had the privilege of being in public schools. Still, great minds and enormous hearts are drawn to the profession and young people will be in great hands with their care.

It is a calling and I'm so glad that I was once called to do the work, too. Even better is to pay the kindness forward in many of the ways that were once shown to me. A full circle evening, indeed.

But now for a wet Saturday and figuring out the next steps for CWP summer programs. You have to love those who teach. Angels and saints in a complicated, unpredictable world. The youth of tomorrow deserve such educators and I'm proud of them all.