I can't believe it's that time of year again! Each year my kids get one year older and closer to high school graduation, and time just seems to be slipping away from me. Shelbi is entering 9th grade at South High and Jordan will be a Junior! Shelbi will be a cheerleader and Jordan will be in New Dawn. Wow! That doesn't seem possible! I still remember laying in bed at night when I was about to enter my freshman year in school, nervous about entering high school and thinking about how 4 years seemed like such a long time before I would graduate. That 4 years now seem like 4 minutes. I have vivid memories of Shelbi in 1st grade at Franklin Elementary at Halloween doing the costume parade around the school grounds. She was dressed as a princess and to me seemed like the most beautiful princess ever! Then a bird pooped on my head right in front of my ex-wife Shelly and she laughed while I flushed with embarrassment. That seemed like yesterday to me. I remember Jordan's first day of kindergarten. He was all dressed up with his new Batman book bag. Isn't it funny how fast time goes by when you get older and how long a year seems when you're in school?
I have mixed feelings now when school starts up again. It was a year ago that I left teaching after only teaching two years. When I got the call from South's principal, Myron Graber, offering me the job at my alma mater, it was the first time I ever cried with joy at the news that I was offered a job! I was a mess. I was so happy that all my efforts at K-State School of Education was going to pay off. I was offered the job that I dreamed of when I decided to go back to school at the age of 38. I remember my first year being full of excitement with all the possibilities for my new career that I thought would be my last. I wish they would have given us a more realistic idea of what high school teachers have to go through on a daily basis. I wish someone....anyone....would have explained to me how parents have changed since I was a kid. You heard me right. PARENTS have changed....not kids. Kids have the same pressures we had. It's just that I didn't count on having to be a parent to so many kids on a daily basis. Anyone who knows me knows how good my kids are. They were easy to parent growing up! It wasn't fun at all for me to have to be a disciplinarian to so many kids each day. I wanted to TEACH! Every now and then you felt like you were getting through to someone and may have made a difference to them; but not nearly enough. I always had a lot of respect for teachers, but I have so much more now after witnessing first hand what they deal with on a daily basis for so little money and respect, and so much scrutiny by the public.
Here's to another school year! May it last a long, long time!
Peace.
Alex
I have mixed feelings now when school starts up again. It was a year ago that I left teaching after only teaching two years. When I got the call from South's principal, Myron Graber, offering me the job at my alma mater, it was the first time I ever cried with joy at the news that I was offered a job! I was a mess. I was so happy that all my efforts at K-State School of Education was going to pay off. I was offered the job that I dreamed of when I decided to go back to school at the age of 38. I remember my first year being full of excitement with all the possibilities for my new career that I thought would be my last. I wish they would have given us a more realistic idea of what high school teachers have to go through on a daily basis. I wish someone....anyone....would have explained to me how parents have changed since I was a kid. You heard me right. PARENTS have changed....not kids. Kids have the same pressures we had. It's just that I didn't count on having to be a parent to so many kids on a daily basis. Anyone who knows me knows how good my kids are. They were easy to parent growing up! It wasn't fun at all for me to have to be a disciplinarian to so many kids each day. I wanted to TEACH! Every now and then you felt like you were getting through to someone and may have made a difference to them; but not nearly enough. I always had a lot of respect for teachers, but I have so much more now after witnessing first hand what they deal with on a daily basis for so little money and respect, and so much scrutiny by the public.
Here's to another school year! May it last a long, long time!
Peace.
Alex
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