You Are More than Your Mistakes

The title of this post comes from a Kid President video about heroes. Thanks to the Two Writing Teachers for the opportunity to share a slice of life each Tuesday! I'm so grateful for this opportunity to write and share with you!

Have you ever had a day when you felt like a failure? A day where you felt like you kept messing things up, the more you tried to make them better? I had one of those days last week. Things weren't going well and I felt like I was failing as a teacher. I looked out at those faces and thought, "They deserve better." There's really no rhyme or reason to this particular day, but I couldn't shake those feelings.

That's the big problem...moving past those negative feelings once they grab hold of you. I couldn't turn off the voice in my head that kept a running tally of all of my failures. I wish there was a mute button for that voice!

During my planning, last block of the day, I decided to go for a walk. That'll help me! I walked to the mailbox in the main office. The mailbox usually contains more work, but not today. Today it contained my own tiny miracle. 

There was an invitation to a banquet. I read the letter and it seems that a former student of mine, Hannah, invited me...ME...to accompany her and her family to a banquet for academic excellence. Hannah, now a high school senior, had the opportunity to invite any of her teachers that made a difference and she chose me, her fifth grade teacher. On a day, where I felt like I was spinning my wheels and making wrong choice after wrong choice, this invitation reminded me that maybe I'm doing something right. 

As I looked at that little ticket and realized how much it meant that she invited me, I thought about who I would invite to a banquet like this. Who are the teachers that made that difference to me? 

Professor Daly taught in my graduate program. He was the first teacher who believed that I'd write a book someday. I've never forgotten that conversation!

Miss Leone. She taught history in high school and had so much passion for the subject and for her students. I felt important to her and loved being in her class! 

Sister Jean. She was my sixth grade science teacher. This is the first time that a teacher really challenged me to do my very best!

My mom. As I think back on my teachers, my mom is the one who encouraged my reading and writing more than anyone else! Weekly trips to the library built my love of books! That blue flowered notebook that she gave me opened up the world of writing. I had my very own teacher encouraging and loving me every single day!

Who would you invite to a banquet to celebrate your academic accomplishments? Thank you Hannah! I can't wait!