Day 138

"Experience is the mother of knowledge." I just overheard this and had to mention it.

I'm so grateful for the experience that can only come from being in the classroom as long as this - and it's not even that long compared to the educators I gleaned the most from. I still remember you, Ms. Lacen, Ms. Davila, Mrs. Rodriguez, Mrs. Gallegos (my first grade teacher who I would eventually be colleagues with at the same school I attended up until the third grade) and my mom (the first Mrs. Vasquez) who taught for over 30 years. If there was anything I missed the most about my time in the traditional public school, it is strength of knowing a teacher's place is in the classroom. It may be obvious. A superhero fights crime, a doctor heals and the teacher teaches. Unfortunately, there's an elephant in the room nurturing this idea that some teachers graduate from the classroom into other roles. Somehow, the rationale goes, you grow out of one position and you evolve into something better. In my nearly 13 years as a classroom teacher I've seen this rationale played out in so many ways and I was reminded of that today. I guess I'm not willing to grow up(or out).

Today's bow comes from a reconstructed t-shirt that I was gifted with during Teacher Appreciation Week nearly one week ago. The Operations team (God bless you gals!) came up with this great idea to host a Teacher Games, not unlike the Hunger Games, that featured our school's lion logo fuzed with the mockingjay. Can you believe it only took me an hour to make? Someone's getting awfully familiar with his wife's sewing machine.