2001-04-25
Tomorrow is the last day of the internship..., posted at 10:56 p.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com I'm giddy. I have been all day.Tomorrow is the last day of my student teaching. I've been there since August 20 or so, which seems like yesterday. The year has whizzed past me. It's been a great year. I can't begin to describe the impact these kids have had on me, and how much they've taught me. Nor can I begin to describe the positive effects that my mentor teacher has had on my development as a teacher.
I walked around all day today on cloud nine. I'm in one of those giddy emotional states that only occurs a few times a year - the kind of mood where I feel like I could laugh or cry at almost anything. Pedro, the tough basketball player star with a child, wrote me a card today that said, "Thank you for being such an understanding guy. You are funny, thoughtful, and will be a great teacher!". I was taken aback. I wasn't supposed to see it, though. As soon as Mrs. Goff saw me glance at it, she playfully swatted my hand away. I was ruining my surprise a bit, I suppose.
Tomorrow is going to be an emotional day. I'm not sure how I'm going to get through it without weeping. I am feeling such a weird combination of emotions right now. Sure, I'm happy that tomorrow is the last day I'll be teaching for free. I'm glad I'm going to have my own classroom from tomorrow on. But this year has been such a emotional journey that it will be extremely difficult to see it end. I don't even know how I'm going to get to sleep tonight.
Part of my happiness right now stems from the fact that I'm actually done with my work. Pretty much, at least. I've got one more thing to finish up for my 804 class, and I need to put some finishing touches on my portfolio. Otherwise, everything is done. I haven't been ahead all year in my work.
I keep telling myself that tomorrow isn't it. I'll be subbing in the building, I have to return all my seniors' term papers, I'll see them all at graduation, etc. But the reality is, tomorrow *is* it. I'm nervous, excited, exhilirated, sad, and, yes, giddy. So much so, in fact, that I rear-ended a car today. Yes, my head is so much in the clouds right now that I've become a road hazard. I was inching forward at a stoplight, and the car in front of my wasn't inching. Oops. Singing along to Fleetwood Mac's glorious album "Rumours," I just wasn't paying attention. Almost the moment it happened, there was a policeman there. As a cop's son who'd never even pulled over before, I was damn nervous. But there was no damage. No accident report, no ticket. We even shook hands. Boy, did I feel dumb though.
Anyhow, tomorrow is the day. No longer will I be a student teacher. Wow. I still can't believe it.