School's Out for Summer!

It is officially summer break! Yesterday was the last day of school and today we had our teacher checkout. I'm finally done with 2nd grade and ready to look ahead to 6th grade. It was a really long, really tough year for me and I'm so glad that it is over. I wasn't very sad to say goodbye to this class, but I do want to share some funny moments from this school year.

A few weeks ago we were coloring the grasslands and forests on a U.S. map and the map had the state abbreviations instead of the name. One of my little girls came up to me and said, "Mrs. Henderson, I had no idea Vietnam was so far away." "What?" I said. "Yeah, Vietnam," she said as she pointed to the VT on the map. "Oh, actually that is Vermont," I said. "Oooohhhhh," she continued, "Well, where is Vietnam?" "On the other side of the world," I tell her. "Ok, well, my pen-pal lives in California." Good to know.

One of my little boys came up to me after recess the other day and said, "You know how I got hurt on the soccer field? Well, I feel like I got beat up by a professional wrestler and then chewed up and eaten." I told him that I wasn't sure if a band-aid would help.

Now, I could go on and on with funny stories about those 2nd graders. They are hilarious and adorable and I truly believe that you see more growth in 2nd grade than any other grade K-12. However, as I've stated before, it is not for me. As of right now, I do not miss it and I'm not sure that I ever will.

I'm so excited for next year. We have so many changes in our building and I think change is exciting. I know that sometimes change doesn't come easy, but I believe everything happens for a reason. You may not always know the reason at first, but I think change is always good in the long run. When you go through changes, you are able to reflect upon the past and grow from your experiences. I'm glad I taught 2nd grade. I learned a lot about myself personally and as a teacher. I think next year will be a great year and I'm looking forward to the beginning....in 2 months!