The last day of the school year is here.  The feelings chase themselves through my head like my kindergarteners at recess: excitement, anxiety,  delight, weariness, joy,  loss.  I am exhausted in the way a marathon runner might feel, although I would have to ask my daughter since I have never run one myself. But I imagine there is pain and amazement, utter fatigue and exhilaration, all fighting for space in your head at the finish line.

So I guess one can look at a school year in the same way.  Each school day is one mile, sometimes you have to go through a wall when you think you  just can’t do anymore, and then it’s over.  But the big picture is that I have the best job in the world. I get to help kids grow and develop into the best they can be. I get to watch them put things together and find unhidden joy in achieving something new.  I get to share in the blossoming of another person.   Knowing this will carry me through a hopefully delightful summer, energized for another round with a new group.  And icing on that cake, it will be a milestone year for me: my 30^th year in the classroom.