Today I had lunch with a former student. Jenn was a fourth grader in my very first class, my very first year of teaching. She is now a senior English major at Plymouth State. I can't believe she's graduating! We had such a great time talking about everything from books to job interviews to where some of her former classmates are now, to "do you remember when". Before we knew it a couple of hours had passed and she had to get going. It was so much fun to connect with her as a friend, not teacher and student. To hear her opinions on things and the life lessons she's been learning in this transition period of being 21.
And it was nice to hear that the two years she was in my classroom (4th grade and 6th grade) were some of the best years she remembers of ,elementary school and that she thought I was a great teacher. That is always good for a teacher's soul!
That's the best feeling-that you really made an impact. When you are in it, the every day day in day out part, you lose sight of the bigger picture, I think, until a moment like you had today. Congratulations!
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