September 19, 2007
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Wednesday, September 19, 2007
1 Whoooooo-wee!
2 Just felt like saying that.
3 Lonnnnng day yesterday. They have this ritual in high schools called Back-to-School NIght. That was last night. It is this day where if you have my job you get up at 5:30 in the morning and stay until almost 10 at night.
4 You run around hollering at kids to get stuff done, you sweat, and then if you do have parents come to visit, you just clean up five minutes before they arrive and when the parents enter your room, you act as fresh as a daisy.
5 Almost all teachers go through that ritual.
6 Well you'll be happy to know, those what knows me, that I finally have an Honors class this year. All the years I didn't Back-to-School night was a chance to chill with the kids in the play, or in the Class, or to BS with some colleagues, and then head home.
7 I'm USED to that, in fact.
8 Well, when it was time to go introduce myself to the Honors parents last evening, I was amazed to see that the line was around the block. I walked in and saw my students proudly standing with their parents, and this massive brightness came over the room.
9 I've been really excited about this class, as YB never gave me Honors after around five years. To be perfectly honest, that was probably the number one reason I decided to leave. I began as an Honors' teacher, and "back-in-the-day" they decided to rotate us so we would all be well-rounded.
10 I did, and I actually enjoyed all the different teaching challenges, and to this minute I feel I had a wonderful career because of it.
11 But year in and year out I would stay at the same level, which was nowhere near Honors. They never rotated. I always thought I would be an amazing Honors teacher and put in requests every single year, and every single year I wouldn't get it. Or maybe YB didn't get it.
12 The welcome by those parents last night was one of the highlights of my teaching career. I was surrounded with postive people and support, and with great respect for what I had so far done with the students.
13 It took me back all the way to my first year ever at YB. I had three English 4A classes (that was what they called it then) and just rose to the occasion, working, thinking, joking, and showing some soul and always some respect for the students.
14 I recall Honors Night that year. I was standing in the back of the Theatre, proud of my Seniors, a bit sad, when a voice came down from the stage and completely caught me off guard. It was a girl's voice, and she said, "Will Mr. Harrington please come down to the stage?" Completely stunned and somewhat embarrassed, I walked to the stage. They had roses. As I approached that already familiar stage, the Seniors Honorees began clapping, and within seconds, all of them stood and continued clapping, almost row by row. Nothing will ever take that moment away from me, and it was the first of many defining moments in a career filled with defining moments.
15 Fast forward to two years ago when I had garbage thrown on me and a student was "pretty sure" Shakespeare was dead. He was "99% sure..."
16 And then fast forward to now. When I was given this Honors class two weeks ago, I became a new teacher all over again. Cleaned up, put on a tie, cut what was left of my hair, trimmed my nails, shined my shoes, tied my idiotic shoelaces, and rambled into town on a white horse.
17 Last night I lit up.
18 I knew I had been teaching as never before, and the parents were there, with students, and a feeling that something good was going on. Perhaps even something miraculous, at least to me.
19 Last night I became that teacher once again.
20 A return to Camelot.
21 Those what knows me knows what I mean by that.
22 Words just can't say it. I'm mixing metaphors and getting lost.
23 It's nice to find yourself after years of having been a bit lost. Maybe that's it. I know one thing. One teacher put in his time, and was now emerging pretty well-rounded. It was a great moment. A defining moment.
24 I never intended this DN to go there this morning.
25 Once in a while good happens. Once in a great while, greatness happens.
26 This was that time.
27 It has arrived.
28 I'll one day never forget last night.
29 All apologies.
30 It was just sweet, and I guess I just wanted to share that.
31 Thanks for listening.
32 Great night.
33 Perfect. Finally.
34 Peace.~H~
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