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With Teacher Appreciation Week ending with Mother's Day, this past week the two most important roles in my life were honored. I received a few emails from students who expressed how much they enjoyed having me as their teacher this year.  Well, to be honest, I asked students to choose a Guilderland teacher, past or present, to email and show their appreciation. I always preface this task by saying I am not looking for a pat on the back by anyone.  I encourage them to actually not choose me because I am the one asking them to do it.  It is nice though to be ignored.

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In addition to receiving thanks from students, I also received appreciation from some of the teachers who were also on the receiving end of my students' emails. There were kindergarten teachers, world language teachers, even retired teachers!  Some of them stopped me in the halls and said how much the email(s) they got in their inbox made their day. Some teachers tweeted their appreciation:

It was fitting that also last week the GTA celebrated its annual Springfest, an evening where Guilderland teachers who are retiring at the end of the school year are honored.  This is always such a wonderful event. While I knew many of the retirees (several were from FMS), it never matters whether I do or not.  After socializing and eating dinner, we all sit down to listen to speeches given by colleagues about each retiree. Some retirees choose to speak for themselves. Some are sentimental, some are hysterical, all are heartfelt expressions of each teacher's dedication to their students and school. This year we also had a new master of ceremonies...Mrs. Nowak from Altamont Elementary. She created "retiree commercials" as interludes between each speech. They were unbelievable and received the biggest laughs of the night. She did an awesome job of moving the night along. I only wish that I could post them here. Instead, here are a few photos from Springfest.

The view from the table that Mrs. Sittig (my date) were sitting at.

Mrs. Nowak doing her thang!

Mrs. Clum-Dolan speaking on behalf of her colleague and friend, Mrs. Hyland.

In continuing with the spirit of appreciation, I also found some among our students this week. This particular expression of appreciation is a daily occurrence here at FMS and is one of my favorite traditions. When it is a student's birthday, their friends will either stay after school or come in early to decorate that student's locker. They use wrapping paper, drawings, photos and other items to let their friend know how special they are. Middle schoolers are usually not viewed as always being kind, but this simple act of appreciation dispels that myth. I love walking the halls and seeing the various ways that friends show their appreciation for each other.

Some of my awesome Hia7A students decorating their friend's locker.

My week ended with Mother's Day on Sunday.  I had a wonderful breakfast at a diner with my husband and two daughters.  We had hoped to all go golfing together but, alas, the weather did not cooperate.  Maybe next year. I got cute cards and gifts that Jane and Sammy made at school. Those are my favorite kinds of gifts. I appreciate their teachers carving out class time to allow their students to create something to give to their moms.

And look at that...I think I have come full circle. I hope all teachers had a great Teacher Appreciation Week and all moms enjoyed their Mother's Day. It was a good week.