“Weird” ending

Ending the year is a challenge at our school because our students come from 20 local districts who have their own schedules of exams and end on different days. So this past week we have sporadic attendance due to lack of busing and some of the students starting summer vacation early. We try to plan fun events to get students to attend. On Tuesday we visited a local college and Wednesday we had Hobby Day. Each teacher brought in stuff for something that they like to do in their spare time.

2013-06-05 10.21.41If you know me then of course I brought in concrete supplies and had students mix and make their own concrete candle holders with tea light candles embedded into the concrete. Other things students did included jewelry, scrap booking, Frisbee golf, making ginger ale, and wood turning.

My students think my obsession with concrete is hilarious and this is important. I am weird and it matters. My weirdness about concrete communicates to students that it is ok to be their weird selves about their passions. We are a community of weirdness that respects the different weirdnesses of each other.

Yesterday was the last day of school for students. In a twist I wasn’t there because I took a personal day to attend my son’s 5th grade graduation. But we had a potluck last night where all students and their families are invited. It is fun to hang out and say goodbye to them all. Especially powerful was talking to a couple of students who I dragged to the passing side of my class so they can avoid summer school.

Before the night ended a group of students forced my co-teacher and I to give them “speeches” where we individually said something about each of them. It was fun and felt like giving each of them encouragement and a blessing going forward. I have had most of these students for two years and it will definitely be “weird” not to have them in class next year. I definitely end the year with feelings of appreciating my students and the relationships that I have with them. I look forward to watching them continue to grow in the future.