Bittersweet Gratefulness

Due to COVID-19, my college was shut down. Lately, I have been pretty down about all the things that I miss; however, rather than be sad, I am deciding to be grateful to have a place that is great enough for me to miss.

Being aware of something that you miss, and that you should be grateful for it, doesn’t always make it easier though. So, here I am going to make a list of things that I am grateful to be able to miss while I am away from college and my students. Here is what I miss most within the classroom:

1. Students when they smile at me when I tell them a joke
2. Having students (especially preschoolers) run up and give me a hug anytime they see me
3. Being in the classroom watching teachers who rock
4. Students running up wanting to pet my dog. And talking with students about their dogs
5. Having a quiet space to work with children and get experience
6. My awesome professors, who I still see regularly, but I wish I could see in person
7. Seeing my peers and fellow educators work with the students to make sure they understand the content
8. Having the resources and space to be able to do fun activities with the students
9. Teaching students.

As all good things must come to an end, so must my “things I miss” list. While I do love the classroom and spending time with the students, I also have a list of things I do not miss:

1. Stinky breath from unbrushed teeth
2. Lice outbreaks
3. Getting sick from a sick child
4. Having to explain complicated things, like questions such as “Who is God?”
5. Getting stepped on/tripped over
6. Being expected to hear and understand 5+ voices at one time
7. Having to put on “professional” clothes for class
8. Being exceptionally nervous every time I help the students cross the street

As I said before, all good things must come to an end, and this school year proved that. This has by far been one of my favorite semesters, both in and out of the classroom. Thank you for the memories.