Written on 3-21-15.
I am alone at the cabin home. Well, not completely alone. I have the fireplace going. I have my cup of coffee with a bit of milk and sugar. *It’s a free day. I have our laptop. Music is playing on my “old” iPod as I type away here. The TV that Eric bought is showing beautiful scenery on a channel that is more like a screensaver. I think it’s called EscapeTV? I will watch for the name (I just saw the name; it’s called escapestv, and it can be found at escapestv.com). Compared to my view out the windows here, however, it looks so small and insignificant, even though it has gorgeous moving pictures of incredible scenery. Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby.
Time to breathe in. Breathe out again. Relax, Pat. You are on spring break in the final year of your teaching career. Life is good, as usual. Thank God.
Belinda is at a training at Mesa Verde, and that is...
part of the reason we came here last night. I am so proud of her. She applied to be a teacher consultant for a day, and she got it. She will work there all day while I “escape” here at the cabin home.
I plan on writing. A lot. This training she is attending might lead to more, and she is so deserving. She has taken her classes to Mesa Verde year after year after year. I think she didn’t go one year, or maybe two, because they went to the train or something else instead, but what a legacy!
At the school board meeting where she made her request for one final time, she got some deserved recognition. First, Jimmy Dusenbery repeated what he had said last year, “If Mrs. Swope asks for anything, I was told to give it to her.”
Roger (last name) was grateful for when his family joined her at Mesa Verde when their daughter was in her class. He said they would not have gone if it weren’t for Mrs. Swope, and they were thankful for that. Tania (last name) got emotional when she announced that Belinda was retiring. She mentioned how Belinda had helped her when she was a teacher, when she was a principal, and even now as a deputy superintendent. As Tania spoke, B choked up a bit, too.
I’m letting the fire die out. It’s starting to warm up without it due to the morning sun. C.J. and Bruce are playing today at 11:00, but I’m okay to be here instead. This feels fantastic. It’s a wonderful feeling to be alone with my thoughts, especially after these past couple of busy and hectic months at school. Some things can be checked off the list permanently, though, and that’s a great, yet surreal feeling. I had my last staff photo. My last class photo. I am finished with my formal observation, and I had my final meeting with Troy, our new principal. Everything that is required has been uploaded to Teachscape. Report cards for the third quarter are in the books. My career is winding down.
After cleaning out my storage closet and getting rid of some stuff this spring break, I will feel more ready than ever to close the book on my teaching career in public education in New Mexico. I bought a song by REO Speedwagon last week, the one titled “It’s Time for Me to Fly.” Although it’s more of a break-up song, it is appropriate for where Belinda and I are at in our careers. It’s time for us to fly.
I am alone at the cabin home. Well, not completely alone. I have the fireplace going. I have my cup of coffee with a bit of milk and sugar. *It’s a free day. I have our laptop. Music is playing on my “old” iPod as I type away here. The TV that Eric bought is showing beautiful scenery on a channel that is more like a screensaver. I think it’s called EscapeTV? I will watch for the name (I just saw the name; it’s called escapestv, and it can be found at escapestv.com). Compared to my view out the windows here, however, it looks so small and insignificant, even though it has gorgeous moving pictures of incredible scenery. Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby.
Time to breathe in. Breathe out again. Relax, Pat. You are on spring break in the final year of your teaching career. Life is good, as usual. Thank God.
Belinda is at a training at Mesa Verde, and that is...
part of the reason we came here last night. I am so proud of her. She applied to be a teacher consultant for a day, and she got it. She will work there all day while I “escape” here at the cabin home.
I plan on writing. A lot. This training she is attending might lead to more, and she is so deserving. She has taken her classes to Mesa Verde year after year after year. I think she didn’t go one year, or maybe two, because they went to the train or something else instead, but what a legacy!
At the school board meeting where she made her request for one final time, she got some deserved recognition. First, Jimmy Dusenbery repeated what he had said last year, “If Mrs. Swope asks for anything, I was told to give it to her.”
Roger (last name) was grateful for when his family joined her at Mesa Verde when their daughter was in her class. He said they would not have gone if it weren’t for Mrs. Swope, and they were thankful for that. Tania (last name) got emotional when she announced that Belinda was retiring. She mentioned how Belinda had helped her when she was a teacher, when she was a principal, and even now as a deputy superintendent. As Tania spoke, B choked up a bit, too.
I’m letting the fire die out. It’s starting to warm up without it due to the morning sun. C.J. and Bruce are playing today at 11:00, but I’m okay to be here instead. This feels fantastic. It’s a wonderful feeling to be alone with my thoughts, especially after these past couple of busy and hectic months at school. Some things can be checked off the list permanently, though, and that’s a great, yet surreal feeling. I had my last staff photo. My last class photo. I am finished with my formal observation, and I had my final meeting with Troy, our new principal. Everything that is required has been uploaded to Teachscape. Report cards for the third quarter are in the books. My career is winding down.
After cleaning out my storage closet and getting rid of some stuff this spring break, I will feel more ready than ever to close the book on my teaching career in public education in New Mexico. I bought a song by REO Speedwagon last week, the one titled “It’s Time for Me to Fly.” Although it’s more of a break-up song, it is appropriate for where Belinda and I are at in our careers. It’s time for us to fly.
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