My Ode to Teachers

This isn't really an ode.  

It isn't lyrical.  It isn't poetic.

But it is my attempt to put into words the feelings I had at the end of the school year.

So last year wasn't the best year for one of my kids.

It was the first time I ever considered home schooling my children.

But this year was different.

We had a GREAT year!

Not only did both of my kids have the BEST teachers, they also had some really great kids in their class.

Everything was so great, it was so hard to see it end.

The phrase, "It takes a village" kept running through my mind.

Because I do what I can from home.

But my kids are in the care of others for about 7 hours on a weekday (school starts at 8:20 and they get out at 3).

So for 7 hours, their safety, health, well-being, etc. are in the hands of someone else.

Someone, who at the beginning of the year, is most likely a complete stranger.

For the most of us, our kid's lives are pretty safe while at school.

But there were 2 events this year that proved that safety in school is not always a given.

Newtown is the first incident.

This illustrated just how much my children's lives are in their teachers' hands.

And again with the tornadoes in Oklahoma.

From all accounts, in both cases, it sounds like the teachers did everything they could to protect their students, even if it meant the teacher sacrificed their own life.

It was a huge reminder of how the simple act of letting my kids out of my sight was literally putting their lives in the hands of others.

And the hands that took care of my kids this year were, well, I really can't find words to describe them.

I feel like I have a pretty great "village."

It's no wonder I get so attached to the teachers, you guys are basically helping me raise my kids for most of the year.

So thank you.

(and I am so glad so many of you are on facebook, because then I can still keep you in my "family")