Teaching Math and Touching Hearts

Day 22/365

When asked what I "do" for a living, I always say I teach Math. However, that's not all I teach.

I teach thinking skills, problem solving skills, and testing skills. I teach study techniques and different ways to memorize information.

I teach time management. I try to teach organization, but that one is difficult for me. I teach making good choices and dealing with consequences. I teach productivity and what that means.

I teach vocabulary that has nothing to do with math just by speaking.

I teach responsibility.

I teach expectations.

I teach tolerance.

I teach love.

I teach sex education when necessary because high school girls will ask you anything if they trust you.

I teach goal setting and perseverance.

I teach students and I love them all even though I may not always like their choices.

I form a bond with a lot of my students, sometimes without even being aware of it.

On holidays elementary teachers are bombarded with gifts. High school teachers, well, not so much. Yet, I have been given many gifts. They come in the form of hugs, cards, and chocolate frequently. Just this year, I have had one student bring me a bag of chips that she knew I liked. (Thanks again Freedom!) And just this week a student brought me a chocolate candy bar. Although I do believe he may have been trying to be a stinker since he knows I'm trying to lose weight. Gotta love eighth graders!

I have received my fair share of pastries and pies, cookies and cakes, and more than a few diet cokes. My students seem to know what I like more than my friends. They see things. They remember things I say.

My second year teaching was the first year that we went to eight period days. My conference happened to be eighth period. Talk about a long day! By seventh hour my feet were killing me on a daily basis. This was when I still tried to wear "dress" shoes on a daily basis.

At Christmas that year, I was given a very special gift by a very special student. It was vibrating house shoes. When I opened it, she told me that she thought I could put them under my desk and during seventh hour I could wear them so that my feet wouldn't hurt so bad. See, they watch. They listen. And they really do care.

As it turned out, the house shoes were so loud when I tried walking with them vibrating that I couldn't wear them while teaching. But I still have them. On those days that my feet ache from standing on concrete all day long, I wear them around the house and think of Haylie.

Today I was given another very special gift. Joselyn brought me a bracelet from Mexico. It is green and has my name on it. It is the only thing I have ever owned with my name on it. She had it made especially for me. It didn't dawn on me until late this evening that she choose green because it is my favorite color.

They do watch. They do listen. They do care.