To the Secondary English Education Class of 2015: You know you who you are. ♥

            As this semester draws to a close and the light at the end of our academic tunnels grows more visible with each new day, I am left with a quiet and reflective heart. I know that the coming semester will bring with it many new experiences that we will all add to our personal and professional tool kits, and I know too that more good things are yet to come. However, with this understanding, there is also a sense of longing for what we have right now as students.

       

            There is something safe, reliable, and even comforting the routine-ness of stressing about that next exam, listening quietly to a familiar voice lecture over interesting topics, and sharing our own thoughts in the easy, supportive environments of our classrooms. I am eager to take on more responsibility, to continue to grow my knowledge as a future teacher, and take the next few uncertain steps into what has become my future—But (there is always a but somewhere isn’t there), I am also uneasy about giving up the safety and comfort of a classroom where I am allowed to make mistakes, a wonderful teacher who has guided me every step of the way throughout this journey, and a group of class mates who have become more like family than colleagues as together we have marched on from one learning experience to the next. The coming years will bring new relationships, new trials, and new responsibilities. What will I do without your motivation and support, your sense of humor, and your reassurance?

 

Sheila, your logical way of thinking about tasks has helped me to learn to stop and think before I get stressed out about a new task. Krystal, your sense of humor and spunky personality always cheer me up and get me motivated when I am feeling down or tired. Lucky, who I will never forget because you have the same name as my turkey and you love fried chicken, white undershirts, and smiles, you have taught me perseverance. Sarah, your kind spirit and willingness to help others have encouraged and inspired me to help others too. Erich, your funny quips and way of making difficult ideas seem reasonable and easy to understand has helped me understand many difficult concepts in our class.

              Stephanie, your excitement for learning is inspiring, and you always have great ideas to add in our discussions that help me feel more comfortable sharing too. Brian, you are one of the most interesting people I have ever met. You have traveled to so many different places and I have learned so much from your experiences! Thank you for sharing so much with us! Isabella, you are so soft spoken, but your heart and your strong mind are so explosive with new ideas and creative ways to reach students! You always encourage me inside and outside of class. Destinee, you are an example of a strong woman who has made balancing parenting and academic success an art. You are so dedicated to your family and allow them to inspire your work ethic and ability to stick to things even when it may be difficult.

 The Lindsies, your names are spelled almost as differently as your personalities, but you equally contribute so much the education and being part of this amazing team. Gaby, though you seem quiet, you can be very outspoken when prompted and you always have amazing ideas to bring to the table.  Austin, the nice guy: you care so much about others and your love of God and family shines through in everything you do.

 

Last but not least, Dr. M. Even though you wear more hats than anyone I have ever met, you have managed to make each one of us feel like your “#1” through every step of this journey. You are at the front of the crowd snapping pictures of us, telling us to “pose” for the perfect shot, on the side lines cheering for us as we struggle to make that last leap, in the ditches with us as we hunker down and give everything we’ve got to climb the hill and attack our next challenge, and you are the quite, reasonable voice in our heads that tells us what to do next and how to just breathe when we feel stressed out.

I know that the future holds many wonderful things for all of us, but I will miss each one of you greatly and hope that we can all stay connected in the future! This has been an amazing experience for me and I cannot wait for next semester! We are going to ROCK spring 2015!!!