Testing on Thursday

I teach at a high school in New Jersey, and I must say I love it.  There have been plenty of times where I have sighed, looked over at my co-worker and said "Gee I love my job" and truly meant it.  Today would not be an exception.  I have one particular student who makes me laugh.  Though some might consider his actions a little odd, and perhaps off, I find him endearing.  He goes through desperate lengths to be whiny, amusing, creative, loud and obnoxious.  Still, with all his complaints throughout the year, I do believe he is my favorite student of all 7 years of teaching.  He wrote an ode to my husband as part of an assignment a few months ago.  Followed with a singing audition of a literature circle role.  He is crass and sassy, moody and amusing.  He will say things like "Though this class is filled with pieces of junk...blah blah blah" and he will have his hand waving in the air, and his head bobbing from side to side.  

I have the summer off, and not just because I enjoy not working (I mean really, who does like to work every day?), but because it was easier for me to be home to drive back and forth to camp.  I also applied to the summer school position, but didn't get it. Boo hiss to that.  However, I like the break off in the months of July and August because it honestly keeps me motivated. I always like my job.  Just when I start to feel burnt out, we have an extended break. Well needed and well deserved.

I am writing this entry because it is the last day of final exams, and it means the last day I will see the students.  Today, most teachers are happy - but for me, I am always a little sadden.  Some students I can not wait to get rid of, to send them off to the next grade. But then there are students who make me laugh and make it worth all the political aggravation.  Call me sentimental, but on the last day - it is always a little hard to say goodbye to a certain few.  Then I drive home, and wake up the next morning with nothing to do -and that feeling of sadness goes right away!  glorious two months!  

Congrats to everyone who is graduating or to those who are moving up a grade.  Cheers to everyone who enjoys what they do for a living - because without that joy, it would make for a very rotten life.