I am now officially on summer vacation! Today was the last day of post-planning. My classroom is all boxed up, grades have been turned in and finalized, and I have completed my scavenger hunt of getting signed off by various school administrators, department head, and the bookkeeper. I always find the last day of work to be rather anticlimactic. In my mind, for months everything has been leading up to this day, and now that it is over, I feel a bit let down. I have always said that the end of the school year is like being on a runaway train. The train is not going to stop whether I like it or not, so the only thing which I can do is just hold on. And then suddenly, the train stops, but due to the laws of physics, I am still in motion and am hurled forward.
One of the caveats of which I have to remind myself at the end of the school year is not to dwell on my perceived shortcomings and failures for the year. Yes, I can definitely look back and see where I failed as a teacher in terms of CI, spoken Latin, student engagement, creating a community, etc. But if I only look at where I fell short, then I cannot see my successes. I am reminded of what Rose Williams once said to me in the past, "(In spite of where you fell short), your students still loved you." And for where I fell short with my students? That is what next year is for - I can go in with a plan already in mind. The new school year brings hope.
As I decompress from this school year and process everything, I am excited for this summer break. I am continuing with my graduate studies in Instructional Technology, will be presenting at the American Classical League Summer Institute, and will be serving as a cohort leader/presenter at IFLT 2019. I am excited for these two conferences, since I did not attend either last summer, and I have also taken 1 1/2 years off from presenting at conferences. I am definitely ready to present again.
Thanks to all of you who read my blog. I am always taken aback when people whom I have never met before (especially non-Latin teachers) come up to me and tell me that they enjoy reading it. I am so appreciative that people find value in what I have to say and that it has aided them in their teaching. I feel so validated!
Here's to my next two months of summer break!
Salve Silvi! This is such a healthy attitude, and one that I try to ascribe to myself. Things that I didn't do well last year go on the list for what to focus on next year. This past year (which is not quite done for me) was exactly what it was supposed to be. I will see you at ACL! I won't be at iFLT this year (last year was amazing), but I am sending three of our department teachers for their very first iFLT, and will tell them to introduce themselves to you. Have fun and enjoy your summer!
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