Year End Thoughts

Year End Thoughts by: Karen Gies
Posted on 06/16/2020
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As this unique school year comes to an end, I’m overwhelmed with so many emotions and thoughts. How much I miss my students and what they’ve missed out on, the support I’ve received from others, and where will we be going from here?

In the past, the last few months of school have always been the most rewarding. Typically, this is the time when I get to see the fruits of my labor; watching all of our hard work come together….listening to them read with fluency and expression, watching them learn how to write and express themselves, sharing stories, hugs, and laughs, working together and supporting one another as a team, and watching the confidence and pride they take in completing a job and doing it well. They’ve  missed out on so much; the swimming lessons, our Teddy Bears’ Picnic, making our bunny bags and going on an Easter egg hunt, planting seeds and watching them grow, making our special Mother’s Day and Father’s Day crafts, visiting the nursing home, birthday celebrations, in class field trips, completing 50 decodables, and our wind up drive-in movie and family potluck celebration. These are memories that will now be replaced with Google meets and online assignments. Not to say that these too have not been rewarding. We have had lots of fun seeing one another, sharing at home adventures, playing games, and learning in this “new” classroom as well. It just saddens my heart to know that they have missed out on these Kindergarten childhood memories .

Our new way of teaching has also confirmed many of my beliefs from before. It is without question to say that I could not have done this without my colleagues and our parents. My teaching partner is without a doubt one of the best in the world. She has supported me in so many ways during this difficult change. We have worked together five days a week since our first day of remote teaching. Our planning has taken many hours of hard work, especially learning all of the tech pieces. On a positive note, we have done at least ten times more professional development than any other year of our teaching professions. But then again, we did it together. She has also been their for me emotionally. These times have created a lot of feelings that neither one of us have ever experienced, and it has been very comforting to have one another to talk to. Our admin has also been extremely supportive, compassionate, and understanding during this time. They are always there for us 24/7 and helping in any capacity that they can. I couldn't imagine working with any other people….people who I consider to be good friends. I can’t forget the parents. I am truly amazed at how they stepped up to the plate and delivered during this time of need. I can’t even imagine how much they have gone through. I’m sure they didn’t begin their child’s Kindergarten year thinking that they would have to teach it themselves for the last three months of the year. The work that they have done with their children is to say at the very least, incredible. I am so proud of my students’ reading and writing abilities and what they have accomplished at this stage without daily classroom instruction. Our parents truly deserve a medal for the ongoing support they have given us during this time.

My final thoughts….where do we go from here? I guess no one really knows right now. We can only speculate. My hope is that life goes back to normal. That I get to teach the way that I know and love best, with children in my classroom... ...learning, sharing, laughing, hugging, and building lifetime relationships and memories. I’m sure that’s what we are all are hoping for, especially teachers. After all, that’s why we became teachers in the first place.

Karen Gies

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