Spreading my wings

As I was riding in the car the other day I got to thinking about my blog...how in my profile I say that this is about my my life - my life as a wife, a mother, a MeMaw, a teacher, and a runner - yet all I ever write about is my running. I think I'm going to try to change that a little. I'm going to spread my wings and write about Life...as well as the marathon!


You know teaching is so filled with contradictions.

There is of course the issue of testing - you know THE TEST! As a 5th grade Science teacher, of course the test I am talking about is the TAKS Science test. My students completed the testing last month and the results are due back sometime this next week or so and we are all anxiously awaiting the scores...the teachers at least as much as the students! There is a lot of stress and pressure associated with the test...it is one of my least favorite parts of what I do.

On the upside...there are those moments that touch your heat. They don't happen every day, so now that I have a place where I can "write" them down, I thought - why not!

Friday morning, during one of my Science classes we were working on an experiment. The kids were spread out all over the room pushing cars with pencils, marking down distance, taking turns nicely - discussing results...it was awesome. I travelled around the room listening to the discussions, pointing out ways to make the data more accurate - helping them check their results, etc. On one of the trips around the room one of my students glanced up at me and asked, "Can I tell you something?" (Always a dangerous question!) "Did you know that you are the main reason I'm thinking about becoming a teacher when I grow up?"

Wow! Out of the blue, no warning, no preparation...such a statement. It was one of those moments in teaching that you don't ever want to lose. I hope she stays with it...I hope she dreams big. I don't know what will happen to her in her future, but I do know the impact that her simple comment had on me! A simple moment I don't ever want to let go of!

Don't worry - I'll still be telling you about running...but I will be posting more about life in general as well.