"School's Out for Summer"
Today was a day that I was not expecting or prepared for. Tears, cards, flowers, words of love and many many many hugs. Today I said good-bye to my wonderfully messed up teenagers who I have spent this school year with. I have broken up fights, dealt with suicides, first periods, hickeys, boy troubles/girl troubles, depression, eating disorders, sex questions, bulling, drug problems, family problems and loneliness.
Problems that young teenagers should not have to face.
But through it all, the magic of education and teaching has shone through. This was apparent today as I said Good-Bye.

I have battled with what my role as a teacher should be. What I mean to kids? What kind of role model I want to be? How do I want to educate? What is my "educational philosophy"?

I am still trying to answer those questions but what I do know is that I LOVE MY JOB. I love being a teacher and what that entails.

If you look closely at the picture with all of my cards and letters that I got today, you can see that a student wrote beside my name:

MS. "notorious" CALDER "big pimpin"...

This is a compliment.
So, here is the education lesson for today....pimpin = good
big pimpin = even better