Now That's What We Call Closure, Folks!

"Dear Ms. Ruth, you are so helpful, kind, and you never give up on us. And there are some more, like you always give positive attitude. You told us not to give up and keep on trying because one day you will get it....Wherever you go, you will be happy."

-A special note from one of my cello students

One of the adorable pictures a second grade cello student of mine drew of us...
I am totally diggin' that hairstyle of mine!!

I am sitting in my backyard in Detroit and am reminded of the little touches of Heaven that appear all over this beautiful world. The tree branches sway in the wind, providing a nice soundtrack to the low wind chimes behind me that sing in the wind. Birds are chirping, the sun is shining brightly, and our dog, Lewie, runs up to me with excitement over who knows what periodically. Yes, being home is good. :)

My dedicated readers may be surprised that I am home right now...and that’s because I had to keep it a surprise! The only person who knew I was coming was my dad, and that is because he is the master of surprises, and was also my ride. :) I flew out just hours after my last day of student teaching and made it just in time to crash my niece, Abby’s, first birthday party. But let’s back up: the last week of school.

On the last day of school, a group of teachers got to bring
out their goofy sides and dress up and dance to "Respect"
by Aretha Franklin for all the third graders! 

On Friday, Sophia and I had a talk in our last car ride to school, and we came to a conclusion: we were not as frazzled or eager for this part of our journey to end as we thought. And we realized it is because of one significant thing: closure. Every teacher knows that an essential, yet often overlooked, part of a lesson is the ending. How will I summarize the new content of the lesson? How can I assess that my students learned the material? I know there were definitely days where the class period seemed to just fly by, and before I knew it, I was trying to brainstorm a closing point in the lesson as they walked out the door. And other times, things ended just right, and I was able to have some sort of assessment, whether it was written, spoken, or performed. This closure, as I said, is key to giving students a sense of...well, closure! And the last week of school really wrapped up our nine months of student teaching in a nice gift box marked, “The End”. In addition to receiving some literal very special presents, there were the age-old traditions that helped me adjust to the fact that things were over. Sophia and I threw an end of the year party for our orchestra, I helped both Lorrie and Tyree clean up their rooms (for Lorrie, just for the summer, but for Tyree, permanently! It was bittersweet for us both), I signed yearbooks, I gave many hugs. Both Tyree and Lorrie had such kind, encouraging parting words for me. It was truly special to be able to exchange deep senses of gratitude with one another. My, what a year it was.

The beautiful book Lorrie and our GV students made!

And the gratefulness was expressed toward all four of us in a variety of ways, besides the hugs, cards, and gifts. Tyree had all my orchestra and Spanish students sign a gigantic (and comfy!) t-shirt for me that I will treasure for the rest of my life- I can’t decide if I should frame it or wear it!! And Lorrie created a beautiful, wonderful book full of lovely thank-you notes from so many of my cello, bass, and chamber students. I took out that book the moment I got on the plane and held back tears and laughter as I read my students’ words full of appreciation and love. The character strengths they greatly appreciated were my patience, care, hard work, and my joy. May I always show those traits to my students!

I think the hardest part, of course, was saying goodbye to the students. I know that Tyree, Lorrie, and I will all keep in touch, but I became really close to my kids, and it was difficult to think about not entering those music rooms anymore, waiting for those students to show up. I dreaded the day last week that I told all my students at both schools my bittersweet news. They were all very happy for me, but I received many tear-filled, red-faced hugs from my elementary schoolers that made it hard! To think that we made that impact on one another fills me up, though. I will never forget my first group of students. And next year, I will have probably over 100 students that I get to form that special relationship with. I’m already filled with love for this next group! It’s so special to think of this journey of learning I get to embark on with each and every child.

I stayed in a hotel room by myself for the
first time in Seattle, and IT ROCKED!
First thing I did? JUMPED ON THE BED.
Yes, I am an adult!

While it is sad that one chapter is closing, that means a new, equally exciting one is unfolding. I began my two of four final classes for my MAT degree two weeks ago and will be done August 3rd, so there is a light! Those two classes that began two weeks ago and go until August are online, so the other two meet on campus for six weeks from mid-June to late July. The four classes I am taking are: Inclusive Education for Students with Disabilities, Educational Psychology, Multicultural Education, and Alaska’s People, Places, and Perspectives. I am particularly excited about that last one because we get to travel around Juneau and learn all about my new, amazing home state! I greatly value all of these classes but have already experienced a great deal of déjà vu with the two classes I started; the thing is, because our program got started late and was in its first year, the four of us are a summer behind in classes. Which means, I should have taken these classes last summer, before our student teaching...but instead, I learned on the job! In one sense, it is super helpful to have real-life experiences to connect to what I am reading because it helps me truly understand the concepts. On the other hand, it sort of feels like I already know all of it…?! But, when you think about, that’s FANTASTIC! I could not speak more highly of this 9-month student teaching experience with UAS. I am ready to enter into a classroom. I know what it means to be with a class, beginning to end, and see students through every step of the way.

So, once I finish classes, I will stay in Juneau for a very special day: Sophia’s birthday!! It’s so cool to think about how Sophia’s birthday was two days after we met last year. I barely knew her! And now, she’s one of my best friends. I can’t imagine not being there for her birthday! After that, I am hoping to put my car on the ferry and then drive from Skagway or Haines to Anchorage. It’ll be quite the trip, but I really wanted a road trip this summer, and I have heard this is a beautiful one! Sophia might also be able to join me, which would just be amazing! So, hmm...in order to put a car on the ferry, I need a car...OH WAIT! I just put an offer on one!!!! I did some research, and while I know there are more (and probably cheaper) options in Anchorage, I would love to purchase a car in Juneau so that, 1. I can put all my things in the car (including my cello…as fun as flying first class with him last summer was, those days are gone...and I have a lot more stuff!), and 2. I can have that road trip experience. So to me, it’s worth it. Also, I found a fabulous car that is just my style! I have already been to the dealership twice and have test-driven it and asked a bunch of questions (and don’t worry- I didn’t go alone!). It’s so me. It’s a 2015 Subaru Crosstrek Premium, and it is tangerine orange!!! You’ll never miss me in the snow! I’m like a traveling traffic cone! So anyways, I am just beginning that process, making sure everything is within my budget at the same time. But I am excited at the prospect of owning my first car. I cannot tell you how incredibly thankful I am for a stable job that allows for this blessing.

My (hopefully) new car!

I have a friend in Anchorage who is keeping an eye out for apartments/houses for me, but it may need to wait until I get there. I’m not sure if this is too ambitious, but I would love to look for a place and have it ready to move into by August 1st. We’ll see! It’s tricky only having a couple weeks in my new home city before school in-service starts.

The final big piece of the “Ruth becomes an adult” puzzle for the week has been figuring out the teaching certification process. Unfortunately, not only does it get slightly boring taking these classes so late in the game, but it also makes things more complicated with my teaching contract. My Master’s degree will not be official until late August. And then, my official transcript needs to be sent to another department in order to grant my certification. This whole process could go until October...even though I start in August! Thankfully, Scott has guided me through another way of applying for my initial teaching certificate, and it will all work out. It’s just a few more pieces to move along (some of which are in the hands of others, so I get to be that annoying nagging person!). I am thankful for everyone, including Scott, Lorrie, Tyree, Bruce (my new boss), the ASD HR office (Anchorage School District), and my parents, for helping me through this process. It can be very daunting, but I have such a big support system!

I have now progressed to sitting in bed, with Lewie snuggled up next to me. He and I both seem to be confused by the time difference. I am with my parents until next Monday, but we will be driving to Cleveland on Saturday to look at houses (OH YEAH- if you didn’t hear, I can FINALLY spill the beans: my dad was named the President of Cleveland Institute of Music!!! Check out one of the numerous articles about this exciting news here), and will then drive to Baltimore to see my cousin graduate from high school on Monday. Then, I fly to LA, Seattle, then Juneau. I’ll be back in time for my last round of Symphony rehearsals, which begins on Tuesday. :)

I will never forget jumping out of the car to surprise my mom after my dad picked me up from the airport...or the lie he told her and the rest of my family: that my grandparents were having thyroid AND diabetic episodes that forced him to leave the party for three hours. Rebecca, my grandparents, and my aunt could not be more shocked. I LOVE SURPRISES! And I love summer. :) I look forward to returning to Juneau, where I mostly have a week off before my on-campus classes start. I am ecstatic that I get to return to such a beautiful place! What an adventure!

Now, time to try to do homework...hmm...maybe tomorrow. :)

Yay family! I got to see both sets of my grandparents, one of my aunts, my parents, my sister and her husband, and my sister's in-laws. :)
And, of course, my niece. :)