But do you love me?

I’m about to go to school to teach my nineteenth and final hour this week.  I’m drained.  Between study class, quizzing, and grading I’m watching my free hours fly away.  But the nods, the smiles, the laughs keep me going.  I haven’t graded any exams yet, but I can tell we’re making progress, even if it’s small small.  As I finished a review class yesterday after study class Othello grinned and pounded on his desk, “Good, Ms. RB! Good!  You must stay with us for long.  We will be missing you if you go to America!”  I replied that I wasn’t going anywhere until they passed their national exams and they broke out in applause.

An hour later I was passing out sheets for the 4^th period test and Angeline beamed at me.  “You really love us, Ms. RB, don’t you?  You love the 12^th graders!”  I winked at her, “But do you love me?”  She laughed, “Let’s see the test.”

They have been a pain for months, from the moment I stepped into their classroom, but she is right.  I do love them.  I know almost all 85 by name and I no longer dread our time together.  Their graduation will be a proud, emotional, day for all of us.  The next two months will be a sprint to the finish.  What did I used to shout at Wilson’s?  Keep moving forward!  Just 10% more effort!  How bad to you want it?

Claim your prize.

“We find no real satisfaction or happiness in life without obstacles to conquer and goals to achieve”

~ Maxwell Maltz