Did I do enough?  Did I do all I could?  Teaching is full of ends and beginnings, a constant cycle of looking forward and looking back, both blessing and curse. Indeed. With each beginning, I wonder at the opportunity and possibility, inspired by hope.  But, with each end, I worry about the outcome and impact, haunted by doubt.  A year and a half ago I began a journey with my student teacher, Maddie Alderete.

Then, I was inspired, an opportunity to learn and grow.  And now, at the end, I am haunted.  Did I do enough?  Did I do all I could to arm her with the tools to be both  scientist and artist in the classroom?  Remarkably, it is not all that different from how I have felt all too often in my career as I bid farewell to my students in June.  My cycle of hope and doubt. And though I would expect that one year I would eventually learn that hope trumps doubt, wisdom eludes me, and I play the part again, forgetting that doubt fades and hope triumphs.  But then I remember.  Just as now,  as I write, my doubt diminishes and hope emerges from a new beginning.  Yes, one journey ends today.  Maddie is done.  But she’s also begun.  And as I look back on our journey, I am reminded of her hard work, her eagerness to learn, her challenges, her successes, and most importantly, her impact on kids.  She is ready.  Whether I did all I could is irrelevant; she is ready.  And as she begins her new journey next month at Connell High School, she will shine in her moment, a moment that will mark the beginning of a brilliant career for an incredibly talented and dedicated young lady entering the best of professions.  Welcome aboard, Maddie.  I am so proud of you.  Thank you for all that you have done for me.

This marks the last “Morning Minutes” of the year for letschangeeducation.com. I will continue when we officially launch our mission in January, when I hope all of you will contribute by joining the conversation, armed with the conviction that your words matter.  They do.

With that, I wish all a happy and safe holiday season.  And as we prepare for the new year, I will leave you with a link to a video that my student Kiersten created for her project on procrastination https://youtu.be/_-zWxuEdjoY.  Take care.  See you in January.