Thanks for not freaking out

Kurtis wanted to go fishing for a Father's Day treat. He spent over an hour fixing up his fishing pole and getting it ready to go. He bought a fishing license but hasn't been able to get the 100 ft to the lake to fish. Anyway, we got down there with our worms and my book and Kurtis cast out. After 20 minutes or so I asked if I could cast (yes, I can fish) and let 'er fly. You have to understand our lake is private and stocked with bass every year. The fish come right up to you on the dock waiting for food like starving orphans. On my second cast the line went tight and I started reeling. "I caught a fish! I caught a fish!" I calmly yelled. The thing was pulling tight and I suddenly remembered you're supposed to pull back really hard to make sure the hook has caught the fish. I did that and kept reeling. I'm thinking this is a small bass, maybe 10 inches. It was 16 inches and very nice looking. I reeled it in and we kept it for Kurtis to eat-I don't eat fish, I only catch them. He caught a few more, kept another one and I caught another one not quite as big. Now I don't have a fishing license so Kurtis was very leery of letting me fish. So I never made a big show of it. I just wanted to cast a couple times. Afterward, he said "Thanks for not freaking out when you caught it." I'm a biology teacher who catches bugs, worked with cadavers and have also changed many diapers. I think I can handle a fish. :) I love you babe! Happy father's day.

More like gold

So, I did it. I completed my first year of teaching, teaching 7th grade life science at Kellogg Middle School. I don't know whether to feel proud of myself for not losing it in the middle of class (almost happened 8th period a few times), not hitting a child (although there were a few sweatshirts grabbed), and being fairly prepared every day even with a plan B and C (which often were movies or reading aloud)! It was a great year I have to say and I will never forget the kids or the wonderful people I had the opportunity to work with. It was truly a miracle year.

I really gained a testminoy of how important it is to raise your children with good values like working hard, being responsible, being polite and respectful and more. It is also important for parents to raise their children. How sad I was when I found out the stories behind some of my students. No wonder they act the way they do. Don't get me wrong, I had a number of sweet, funny, eager-to-learn students who made my day exciting. But even the kids who gave me the most grief kept me going too. Kurtis said often how he should have been a teacher because it's definatly not a boring job!

I guess you could say I did a good job this year because some of my students "hate me." "You do too many projects! You pick on me too much [for talking/behavior]. Your class is hard!" I often heard. I also heard "I love your class Mrs. Tucker! You always have a way of making things fun and pushing us to be better! I love science! WOW! That's so cool!" So no matter how much work this year was, I'm not deterred from doing what I love.

One of the reasons I had a great year is because I was a member of the Silver team. Each grade is divided into 2 'teams' each with their own color. There are 4 core teachers who all have that half of the grade. Our team works together to plan events, discuss student concerns, etc. My team was full of energy, is driven and cares about the kids. They were great examples to me of what master teachers do and were supportive when I needed advice. They were more like gold to me then silver. :) There were so many other people in the school who were supportive and gave me great friendships. All I can say is thanks and maybe I'll get the chance to work with you again.