students – they will make it with or without you. You are a teacher for the others, those that can’t and those that need you. Lastly, one of the hardest truths. Teaching is saying good bye over and over and over. It is a treadmill and on that treadmill pass so many people we form relationships with, who we commit to and share great parts of our day. They come and pass constantly. That’s tough. I was told this by my own teaching mentor during a practice teaching session way back when. Never understood it until recently. Every good thing has a cost. This is ours. So in ending, I’ll say congratulations and “good bye”. Oh, yes, the story about the girl and the butterfly! I almost forgot. Well, that girl grew up to become a teacher, one of the greatest and most revered teachers ever. She touched thousands of lives. One day, very old, she was dying in the hospital. All her dear friends were gathered around her bedside. They asked her one last thing, “Please tell us your secret to being such a great teacher.” The old lady replied, “Remember that story about the butterfly? Well, when I opened the window and let it free, it turned into a beautiful angel. And that angel told me that my reward would be that wherever I went, I’d find students that need me. And so it came to pass. Wherever I taught, I found students who needed me. And it was through that need, that I became a great teacher. The secret is being needed by your students. So go out there and find students that need you. There are many and you can make a difference!
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