Soups

In 1980, I started teaching at Valley View. I taught there 12 years with some of the best teachers in the business and a few of the worst. Not that any of them would read this blog and a few couldn't because they are Dead. My first year there I taught with absolutely the most fun teacher I've ever worked with, We had great times that year. We planned together, our kids had fun together at school and I was pregnant with my first child by the end of the year. The next year I agreed to teach 5 classes of reading to 5th and 6th graders. During my pregnancy, my legs swelled so bad and I was miserable most of the time. My third year there a new teacher came aboard our campus and she was a certified loser. She had so much hatred in her heart that it was empty with love for any mankind. She paired up with another loser who never graded papers and only gave students grades according to what they made in fourth on their report cards. It's teachers like these who I credit with us being held accountable with TAKS.Time passed by fast those 12 years that I worked there. I worked for 6 different principals and worked in 3rd,4th,5th and 6th grades. I'll never forget the time I walked into the cafeteria and I saw a first grader sitting on the floor eating his lunch. Then there were numerous times I heard men yell at students and get mad for attitude. You need to lead by example and expecting great attitudes with sorry attitudes just doesn't cut it. Several weeks ago I went to a dinner and ran into one of my ex-students. I had wanted him to take the Alps test and one of the other teachers argued that he wouldn't like Alps. Needless to say he redeemed me by saying he would have loved to be in it. He is a chemist in the Austin area and he married a good friend of ours. There are so many students that I taught there that have kept in touch with weddings, babies and graduations announcements etc. I miss those days because they were some of the best. My thirties were spent there.I taught students who were killed by accidents and guns along with gangs. Then I taught students who are young leaders in the community they reside. They make me so proud. Students yesterday today and tomorrow. What can I say? I love every moment I spend with them and would not trade with anyone for all the money in the world.