February brings many flutters and shudders for teachers. The flutters are connected to the chocolate, Sweetheart candy, and wonderfully-sappy cards that tell us how we’re the best teachers ever. The shudders come from a month full of test-prep and the emergence of the end-of-year hustle .
Despite the shudders, the flutters help remind us of all the un-testable, magical aspects of teaching. True story: Today, a student told me that I’ve looked her in the face more lovingly than anybody else has in her entire, 11th-grade life. What? How does a child as talented and lovable as this one get to be 16 years old and never experience the love and adoration of another human being? Trying not to get too weepy, I hugged my student and told her that I loved her.
It’s that simple – I love my students.
Reflecting on my life, I suppose I’ve learned more about love from my students than I have from most humans I’ve ever met. Years go by and faces change, but the heart of the matter stays the same.
This Valentine’s Day, I’m theirs.
