And that’s a wrap…..
While most teachers in my district are celebrating having been able to teach in-person this entire year, my amazing colleagues and I are celebrating the end of our year of remote teaching! It’s not about what our students WEREN’T able to do this year, but what we WERE ABLE to do this year! We were able to see each other’s beautiful faces and smiles each morning as we eagerly logged into Zoom, ready to share how our evening went. We were able to share laughter as we competed to be the first to say, “Some Smug Slug” throughout each day. We were able to make progress on all of our personal and academic skills and share how we were learning even as we made mistakes. We were able to share our love of cats, fishing and baseball, Pokemon, dinosaurs, Legos, Pepsi, and chocolate. We were able to develop heartfelt relationships with each other and our families. We shared what we missed about “regular school” yet what was so wonderful about OUR remote school. We were able to do so much more than we thought when we started the year!

As I reflect on this unprecedented year, I’m so very thankful for my students and their families. I’m grateful for their continuous support and encouragement. I’m appreciative of their unwavering belief in me as I tried my best to create a fun-filled digital learning experience that supported their academic progress and their emotional well-being. At this time, I’m still unable to express my feelings or communicate how much these kids, and their families, mean to me. They have made my heart so happy this year, and I will miss all of them so much!

Well, I’ll let the tears fall for a bit as I feel the expected sadness that comes with the end-of-the-year, but I will also smile, knowing I will never forget these kids and their families, and they will hold a once-in-a-lifetime space in my heart! So, that’s a wrap! Some Smug Slug!