"Just Wanted You To Know..."

It's been another long delay since I've written, and it's for all of the usual reasons -- life is busy, work is busy, same old same old.  Less than a week after my last post I got engaged, and not two days later I was wrapping up the school year knowing that I'd be taking on new challenges right away.  From playing principal over the summer to starting a new position for the new school year, I had my work cut out for me.  Both changes were exhausting and overwhelming and scary and fun and humbling all at the same time.  I'm still catching my breath from it all.  I keep telling myself that as soon as _______ is done, then life will calm down.  Unfortunately there's always something new filling in that blank.

I've been struggling with a lot of self-doubt and apprehension lately.  Over the summer I constantly felt on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop -- the administrator's dilemma, I suppose.  I'd barely had time to process the experience before I found myself thrust into a new classroom with new students and new curriculum.  Even a few months into the school year I feel like a rookie all over again.  I'm not so arrogant to think I'd ever fully had this teaching thing figured out, but this year has really catapulted me outside of my comfort zone.  Challenges should do that, right?  I should be excited to have such an authentic learning experience.  But let's be real -- feeling comfortable and content definitely has its perks.

So why do I do it?  Why push and pull myself in so many directions when there's surely a cozy cubicle job somewhere out there?  Well, a former student named Connor reminded me...

At the end of year assembly I was surprised to see him; he had moved on from our program to high school a few years before.  We had grown close when he was a member of our robotics team; he even came back as a freshman because he just couldn't stay away.  He told me that he and his mom were there to pick up his little brother a few minutes early for a dentist appointment.  Knowing how hard it is to get a dentist appointment after 3pm, it made sense. Imagine my surprise, then, when during the assembly he suddenly strolled to the front of the room and began to speak:

I have no shame, folks -- just seeing the screen made me start to cry.  As it happens, he heard that I was leaving for a new building and asked the principal if he could surprise me.  And surprise me he did!  Despite his insistence that he is a terrible speller I'm still going to post his speech here because he explained it so much better than I ever could.  Am I sharing it because I want to brag?  Hardly. Instead, I'm posting this here as a reminder to myself -- I don't care if anyone else ever reads or appreciates what he said. This is why I do what I do.

As many of you may know, this is Mrs. Burstins last year at wings.

Throughout your years at school you will have many teachers. Theere wil be teachersthat are rude, mean, or dont care. You guys especially will always have toughtimes with teachers that are not suppoertive of wings. You will have teachers that like, but dont go above and beyond. But everyonce in a while, you will have a teacher like Mrs Burstin. For me Mrs. Burstin was so much more than a teacher i saw once a week. Her room was a safe place, i would feel comfortbale coming to her with life problems just as much as math problems. She went above and beyond to teach everyone as much as she could and prepare us for life as well as making sure youre happy. Mrs Burstin was nice and accomodating and when homeschool teachers are not, she picks up their slack to make ends meet.

One of the great things Mrs. Burstin did during her time at wings was sponsor the robotics club. After the previous sponsors of the robotic club left, i was very worried about who would take their spot. Then i heard a brand new teacher would be taking over and my fears only grew. But then i got to know mrs Burstin, and through the countless hours ofpractice and meetings and long saturdays and weeknights i wouldnt have any other teacher for that robotics club. For robotics mrs burstin held meetings almost every single weeknight, every saturday for long hours, and simultaneously she was finishing up her masters degree. She coordinated food for saturday meetings, she paid the fees to enter the competitions and went up the nigth before and the day of for the competition. She got sponsoring for busses, compeition fees, t shirts, anything. Mrs burstin became so much more than just a teacher for that robotics club, especially for the marketing team.

Mrs Burstin was like a role model to me, i was always impressed with her kindness and patience with the long hours and many many kids who almost never agreed on anything. I was especaiily amazed that even while she was trying to finish up her masters degree for college she never once faltered on her responsibilities anywhere else. She has meant so much to me and she even attended a concert i performed at just recently and when she walked through that door i thought i was gonna cry. Just like all the teachers i have ever worked with at wings she means the world to me and has changed my life forever.