Today marks the end of another interim teaching assignment for me, the teacher that retired ten years ago that can’t quite seem to get enough of what he loves best – teaching. This year’s assignment has been different in so many ways from all the rest. But it’s definitely one to be remembered for all the good things that happened.
The job was originally supposed to be a two-week assignment. That two weeks soon turned into nine weeks, then eleven. And before you knew it, winter break was the next stopping point on the journey. And came it did,,,I was back to substituting and although I missed the students and staff, I accepted it as being as it was supposed to be.
But the way life can be sometimes, I was called back to serve in the same position until the end of the school year. I couldn’t have been happier. Little did I realize at that point what the rest of the school year would hold in store.
News of the covid pandemic reached us the second week in March. We had reached the end of the nine weeks and had a four day weekend with two work days. Little did we realize on that Thursday afternoon that we would be with our students for the last time. The next weekend brought the news that we’d be doing our teaching and learning remotely. And then with the next wave, it became for the rest of the year.
I have to admit that it was a struggle for me to get those things done that I needed to do for remote learning. I had always thought that working from home would be so much easier, but such was far from the truth. Luckily, I had two awesome co-teachers that helped me out in ways I’ll never be able to repay.
And so today is the day…the last day in this gig. I’m getting ready to go turn in my keys and return my Chromebook and say good-byes. I’d never even been inside the school before that day in August of last year, but it’s definitely a part of my heart this day. And the days will be a little less bright because the job is officially done.
*** – Pictured below – On the last day we were together as a school, two of my students picked a flower and shared it with me during recess…a gift from their hearts on the last day we’d be together. Photo taken on Thursday, March 12th
My teammates and I….
David Lee 
It’s great that you still want to do it. I think the past few months of closed schools have been disheartening for the children as well as the teachers. My daughter can’t wait to go back.