Ponderings at the Close of the Year...

Today is a big day - It's the last day of school of my 2nd year teaching, and 1st year at Davis High. It's been an interesting year (or 2), and although I'm THRILLED that it's over (sorry, it's been a bit of a stressful year, between teaching, getting my Masters, and constantly coaching basketball), our faculty luncheon today has got me thinking...

At the end of year faculty luncheons, we do our goodbyes to those who are retiring or moving on. Because it is Davis' Centennial year, there are several "teaching giants" that have finally decided to "ring their bell." The interesting thing about this process is that these teachers are not just co-workers, or people that I have seen in the halls over the past year. They are people whose classrooms I sat in during high school, and almost more importantly, heard my friends talk about. Pam Coburn was a teacher that I was told I ABSOLUTELY HAD to take AP Psychology from. So I did, and her coffee breath right in my face has stayed with me all these years - But so has her passion and love for the subject she taught. Although psychology was never my favorite subject, I learned enough to earn a 4 on the AP test, and more importantly, I learned how a great teacher teaches - With passion and love for the students.

The tributes and words spoken by others today about Gary Taylor, Dave Miller, along with the others, have left me thinking - What am I bringing my own students? These "giants" are all AP teachers, and have years and years of statistics that tell them what great teachers they are. I, however, am on the low end of the totem pole, which I prefer, and as I thought about what my students say about me, I wondered... When they talk about how hard I am, is that a bad thing? Then I had a thought enter my head, which I looked up online but couldn't find so I guess I'll take it as my own... It was, "I don't have high expectations because I want to see you fail. I have high expectations because I want to see you soar." I don't know that there is anything that could describe how I feel about my students better than this.

It has been a struggle of a year, especially the last month or so, but I'm so grateful for all of the many wonderful blessings that my Heavenly Father has given me. My students are often at the forefront of my mind, as I constantly am wondering what I can do better to help get them more engaged or understanding a concept better. I know I can always do better, but I hope they know how much I care about their success - And how INCREDIBLY thrilled I get when I get to watch them succeed at the level that they want to.

Not only did I have students and TAs come in to have me sign their yearbooks today, but my basketball players came in and we got to enjoy a couple of minutes together. I cannot describe how much love I have for these girls. I love and have high expectations for my students, but my basketball girls, past and present, are literally the ones who have gotten me through almost all of my trials in life, without even knowing it. I know I can be a hard coach, saying things to them that they don't like to hear, but it's because I want to see them come together as the team that I know they have the potential for. I want to see them soar! And there is nothing that makes me happier than seeing those improvements and confidence boosts that raise them a little higher to that soaring level.

So, will I ever have AP test scores and thousands of kids proclaiming their love for math because of me like those retiring today? Most likely not. But I hope I will touch at least a couple of lives for the better, the way that others in the education and basketball industries have touched my own.