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11:41 AM
You Get a Gold Star
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Dear Dad,
It’s amazing what a gold star can do to make even the most
strenuous, tiring, or boring work worthwhile. Last month I gave my students a
Dewey Decimal number each day to go hunt for, and if they could find it and
tell me what was there, they got a gold star. Honestly, I wasn’t sure they
would buy it, but boy did they. A whole group of fifth graders even came in
during recess on their non-library days to earn their stars. In fact, even
though we’ve moved on to a new activity in the library, they are still asking me
for a number to go hunt for to earn another star.
I
totally get it. The past two weeks have been a blur of too
many things in too little time. My days have been spent running from one
thing
to the next to the next. But this week was teacher appreciation week and
man,
even though I know most of the little notes I received were
parent-driven
(having sent my own kids off with cards and treats for their teachers), I
enjoyed getting my gold stars. I love my job all the time, but this
week,
despite being in the middle of mid-term madness in the grad school end
of my
life, was a gold star week. How can you not smile when you get a note
that says
“I love books! I love reading! I love you!” from a smiling
five-year-old? Also, I found out that wearing your hair in mini (messy)
victory rolls earns you cool points with middle school boys, mostly
because they can't understand how you make your hair do that. Who knew?
And now it’s Friday. And sunny. (And Mother’s Day weekend) And
other than the normal child-centered weekend activities that come with
parenthood, I am taking the weekend off from that pile of things to do in my
head so I can enjoy the sunshine and the city and my family. I heard a great
expression today “First I have to contend with the assholes who control my
brain.” Well, I’ve told them to can it until Monday. I’ve turned in my papers
and answered my emails and shelved all the books that are going to get shelved.
I earned my gold star for the week. Now it’s time for the weekend.
-Gillian
