Every Class Needs an Ian

I have taught for 25 years. Twenty-five. That is a really long time. A quarter of a century. And this past school year was the hardest year of those 25. Harder than my first year, where you either sink or swim. I have had people ask me what made it so hard. In one word: stress. Stress of distances, masks, behaviors, and the unknown. It seemed that changes were happening. Every. Single. Day. 

I love my job. After spending the majority of my career in a self-contained upper elementary classroom, I took a leap and found my place in a DK-1st grade creative arts setting. I teach STEAM and art (as an isolated subject) to littles. I have found my people. One thing I LOVE about this age group is they are happy to see you every day. It doesn't matter if the day before they were having a breakdown or sitting in the think spot. Every day is a new day through their eyes. 

I feel fortunate because I see all the students in my building. I feel like the fun aunt. I play with them once a week then send them back to their classroom. But this year was stressful. There were behaviors presented that I had never seen before (and I thought I had seen it all my first two years in Detroit). By the end of the school year, I was ready for a break. More so than I had ever been. But first, I had to teach two weeks of writing camp for the Red Cedar Writing Project at MSU. 

I was excited about my two camps but it took a lot of energy to get there. My first camp was a Storybook STEAM camp for kids going into 2nd and 3rd grade. It was four afternoons with five students. It was lovely. The following week, my co-teacher and I taught Wizarding World of Writing to ten students. On the first day, I recognized two kids right away because I had taught them STEAM just the year before. One of them recognized me right away but the other didn't. I said, "Hi Ian. Do you remember me? It is Mrs. Waugh. I was your STEAM teacher in K and 1st grade." It took a second and then the lightbulb went on. 

Our group of students was amazing! They loved all things Harry Potter, and the writing they produced was unbelievable. But one student stood out more than any other and that was Ian. Ian was easy going, talkative, excited to share, and write. Although he had just finished 2nd grade, you wouldn't have known it because he worked so well with everyone and had great writing stamina. He was patient and kind. He would be the first person to tell you good job. And he was happy. So so happy. 

Ian was a breath of fresh air when I thought I had nothing left to give. He got me excited about what my co-teacher and I had planned for the week. He helped me see things through his eight year old curious eyes instead of my tired ones. I loved just talking to him. It reminded me why I became a teacher in the first place. To ignite excitement for learning. 

Every class needs a boy like him. In times when you think you have nothing left in the tank, Ian will be your biggest cheerleader.