I've Graduated...

There are three students in my Memoir course.  But I don't mind because I have graduated...

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"You mean you haven't been planning your first-day-of-teaching-outfit for days?"  Charles was confused as he watched me leaf through my closet, debating my options and allowing my fingers to graze the textures of my fabrics: scratchy polyester, stiff denim, sturdy cotton.  

"No, I haven't been planning my outfit," I spouted back.  "Now help me decide: jeans or skirt?"  

"Just wear what you always wear around campus.  Just wear jeans."  As always, I appreciated Charles's participation in my self-indulgent debate.  And, as always, I listened.  Yet despite his opinion, I chose what I was always going to.  

"I'm going to wear this black skirt," I said. "I'm worried that they'll think I'm a lot younger than I am if I wear jeans."  

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On Friday, I graduated to high school.  It was a nice change planning for my new students.  Instead of making glittery posters of our class rules and consequences, I printed off copies of my lengthy syllabus.  Instead of wondering when (because it's only a matter of time) someone would fall out of their chair, I wondered which colleges my new students would apply for.  And, instead of dry cleaning my one Ann Taylor pant suit, I mixed and matched the parts of my wardrobe that said "creative" and "grad student".

I'm a part-time high school teacher.  And I love it.  I brought cookies for us to share (read: I gave them sugar) and no one had a giggle attack or fell into a convenient sugar coma.  We read and wrote and they didn't raise their hands.  They don't call me Ms. anything - just my first name - and we're Facebook friends because when it comes right down to it, I could feasibly be their big sister.  

I've graduated to high school.  And I'm excited to see my students progress as I learn how to adapt my middle school ways to fill their pre-college, gifted noggins.

Stay tuned for more revelations regarding high school teaching...