August 19, 2010

• The Daily News

  

  1   Here's one for the ages: The Campbell Unified School District just added a new teacher to their fold. My daughter Nicoley, or "Miss Harrington" was notified yesterday afternoon that she will be the new Kindergarten teacher at Carpi Elementary School, in the very room she student-assisted last year!

  2    She wrote me yesterday morning at around 11 a.m. that she had an interview, and I pretty much figured her to be a shoe-in. The teacher with whom she worked moved to a different school, but they became not just teacher/assistant, but colleagues in what Frank Foehr and I used to call the "War of Love".

  3    I didn't know she got the job 'til got home at around 4:30 yesterday afternoon, after having had myself back-to-back awesome days teaching.

  4    I pulled into the driveway and Nicole bounded out the door with arms pumped like Rocky!

  5    To take it back a few years, ever since she could remember Nicoley has had a passion for teaching. She would play teacher as a child, and later on, she taught younger dancers how to dance. In recent years, she had never taken her eye off the prize, even though last year was one of the most frustrating she ever had.

  6    If you've ever had the pleasure of working with SJSU, you might see what I mean.

  7    But new teachers also have to jump through a billion hoops in order to receive their credentials. Many don't make it. Many give up.

  8    And as Nicoley saw all the cutbacks, and as the school year loomed closer and closer, she started to feel what it would be like not to put a classroom together, not to think of creative lesson plans, and worse, not to enjoy the interaction of mentor and learner that is so unique to this profession.

  9    Within one week, each of my daughters has caused a bit of an almost tear...I must admit I did get a tad caught up when she told me the news.

  10  But dude.

  11  You can't hurt steel.

  12   AnywayZ, I gave her the biggest hug ever, even though she was all sweaty and gross from working out. I, on the other hand, smelled fresh as a daisy!

  13    But I digressssss....

  14    HA! Not really. She just glowed...

  15    After a few years of sadness going on with my Mom passing away, my Dad's health, and all the rest, this has been a glorious week!

  16    When Nicole hugged me, I jokingly whispered in her ear, "How much they payin' ya?"

  17    Then I looked...not bad bank for a first year teacher!  I was TOTALLY joking, but she now has a career, with benefits, in a really nice school district.

  18    She absolutely has passion for teaching, and to the teaching world in Campbell, California, you just got yourself a jewel.

  19    Congratulations, Coley! My beautiful baby is now a teacher. She shares many similar ideas to me, which, while scary, also means that she will put everything she can into the classroom, and not always teach to tests. She is warm, welcoming, and will go the extra mile to engage kids, and get them motivated.

  20    And to Nicoley: as they said at your commencement, "Welcome to the profession."

  21    <moment> Sorry. Proud papa.

  22    Your Nonie would be so proud.

  23    Is.

  24    I'm dyin' here.

  25    Better move on...think I'll at least try right here.

   

  26    The internet refuses to allow me the right to control fonts, so bear with me as I attempt to hammer this out.

   

  27    I tried with both servers simply to write these words: Moving on, Part the First.

   

  28    When your daughter just got a career job, the internet musta known that everything from there on in was open field to mess with the fonts.

   

  29    We'll try one more time.

   

  30    Moving on, Part the First: We still good?

   

  31    Amen.

   

  32    Had my second consecutive day of amazing teaching.

   

  33     I won't go into details, but things ran incredibly well.

   

  34     I don't know when I EVER had a better opening two days, lemme just say that.

   

  35    I DO know that it all became irrelevant when my daughter told me the news.

   

  36    All I can really say is that after all we've all been through, things suddenly righted themselves.

   

  37    I'm just spinning.

   

  38   All apologies, but every now and again this just happens, and even though it's a little after 11 p.m. the night before, I must keep crankin'.

   

  39   That all being said...

   

  40    Live  life.

   

  41   And sometimes, ya just GOTTA love life!!!

   

  42    More to come. Huge congrats, Coley! Now get your room arranged, willya? Quit standing around!

  43    And to all the rest: Have a great day!

   

  43    Peace.

   

  ~H~

  

  www.xanga.com/bharrington

  • 10:38 am
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