Tuesday, November 4, 2014

NaBloPoMo - Day 4 - Election Day

Today is Election Day and like many teachers in my state, I definitely exercised my right to vote.  The main election that affects me today is the State Superintendent race.  The incumbent was actually voted out in the primary back in June, after alienating many of the teachers in our state.  I had a lot of friends that actually switched their party registration just to be able to vote against the incumbent in the primaries.  Going into the election today, the two candidates were at a statistical dead heat, so it will be really interesting to see what happens as the results roll in.  It will also be interesting to see the impact of today's election as we move forward.  The past 4 years have been tough and we are all looking forward to new leadership at the state level.

On a different note:
Today was one of those days where I had several opportunities to experience that sucker punch feeling of kids dealing with way more than my homework assignment.  And I know that for every kid that does confide in a teacher, there are many, many more that hold it inside.  I try very hard to create a safe environment where students feel like I care about them and their feelings, but at the same time, I try to create appropriate boundaries.  My heart hurts for those students who are going through difficult times and I hope all of them have someone that they feel comfortable talking to.

Today I'm Thankful For:
My students.  I really couldn't ask for a better group of kids this year.  They are always willing to try something new, with a minimum amount of eye rolling that is inherent to teens.  In general, they are very supportive of one another and I'm so happy to have played a small part in their lives.  My advisory students have been with me since they entered the high school and now I have the pleasure of having many of them in my math class as well.  It's been fascinating to watch them grow up and mature.  I feel so blessed to work with such an amazing group of kiddos.

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