The End of an Era

As another school year comes to an end, so does the era of me being a teacher.

Granted, it was a short era spanning only three years, but it was an era nonetheless.

I learned a lot during this short time. My skills as a reader and writer grew, which is of course valuable, but the things that I really learned during that time are much less academic.

1. I learned to ignore loud noises unless they clearly indicate a threat to me or my students.
2. I learned that I would rather have kids sleeping in class than talking in class.
3. I learned that although many students won't bother to learn how to pronounce "McGinnity," mispronounce their name one time and you end up on their sh*t list.
4. I learned that one of the best things about being a teacher is that you get to wear jeans on Fridays.
5. I learned that cell phones were invented by the devil to make teachers' jobs 10 times harder.
6. ​I learned cool new phrases like "that's doing too much."
7. I learned that teenagers can be a lot of fun.
8. I learned that starting your class off with a riddle every day makes things much more interesting.
9. I learned that jolly ranchers are a great motivational tool.
10. I learned about myself.