What I learned from my 7th year of teaching

Every year I like to write a list of things I've learned from that year of teaching.  You can find links for my 1st year,   2nd year,  (who knows what happened to my 3rd and 4th year) 5th year, 6th year
 
1.  Having a solid team to work with can make or break your year.  Last year I didn't trust some of the people I worked with, and it made it pretty miserable.  This year I love my peeps!  I'd have lost my sanity long ago if i hadn't had those people in the trenches with me.  You girls rock!


2.  I'm flabbergasted by the things that some parents think it is ok to write to us.  Just flabbergasted.  For example, one parent this year told me to "take my project and shove it up my ____ you _____."  and also "horse shit lady."  Yes those are direct quotes.  


3.  Sometimes your kids just suck.  They have no morals, they don't do work, they are destructive, but you can still teach them something.  Even on those days when I think "What is the point of me even standing here talking????  No one is going to do this work anyways!!!!!", they still absorb something.  Not as much as we want, but something is better than nothing.


4.  Even miserable years go kinda quickly.  I can't believe this is the last day of school.  


5.  I'm surprised at how much growth I've seen in the 7th grade class this year.  They are still unbelievably immature for their age, but they have done more work this past month than I ever thought they'd do.  That shows growth.  Too bad they didn't start out the year this way.  


6.  There were years when I thought I'd never do this for the rest of my life.  But now I don't know.  Yes this year sucked.  But i love making connections with the kids.  Some of those have lasted a lifetime.  It's a hard feeling to walk away from.  Plus the breaks are so, so nice.  I just don't know whether I want to pursue a PhD and teach at the college level, or if i should stay where I am at.  Someone make up my mind for me???

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