I recently worked on my year-end review for my AP to evaluate my performance for the year. I keep track of what I do throughout the year because I like to see for myself what I am actually accomplishing. As I looked over my accomplishments, it easy to see why I love my job. Quite simply, it is because it allows me to do what I love to do best, and that is to help others. I'm not feeding the poor or clothing the naked, but I do get to help people with their jobs and that is rewarding.
The one thing that stands out to me the most from this year is the read aloud time that I started with our special needs classes. I'm not sure who enjoys it the most: the students, their teachers, or me. I usually choose silly books that are fun to read and I put a lot of my personality into the reading of the books. I know that if I read aloud to the regular ed classes that they would enjoy it too. So much of our entertainment comes from a computer or TV screen and not from live performance. Really, that's what reading aloud is--a live performance. One student in my special class is non-verbal and she recently started imitating me, saying the words as I read them. It was a welcome shock to her teachers and to me to hear her speak the words--using my intonation, as well. I was quite touched by the experience. Often times I have students from other classes working on computers while I'm doing my read alouds and I catch them watching intently as I read to my students. One time after I finished, a young boy said, "That was amazing. They were listening and laughing to everything you said." He understood the power to connect that reading gives to us all. Reading is "amazing, " and being able to share it with others is a gift to me.
A review of my work tells me that I am a very lucky person.
