An 8th to Remember

How do you say goodbye to your kiddos? Every year I go through the same emotions! Every year another class goes, but yet the same routine comes and goes. For the last 4 years I spent 8 + hours of my day teaching these young kiddos.

If you have spent any time with me in the last 4 years, at one point you may have a heard me tell a story, and in that story I would mention my kids. Those listening would respond with enthusiasm, and say YOU have kids? I would respond Yes! Yes, I have kids, 24 to be exact. That’s when they would look at me with a weird look and I would respond I’m a teacher. Oh….I get it now. Then the next big surprise question is, YOU’RE A TEACHER!!! I am never surprised by this question because if you know me, I’m more of a kid then my kids. The statements always go the same. You’re a teacher? I can’t see you as a teacher! I wish I was in your class to see you teach. I guess I’m just that kind of guy. You have to see me in action to know what I am talking about.

I don’t know about you, but I like my job, and I take it like any thing I do. I do my best. Over the last 4 years I spent countless hours working with these kiddos seeing them grow from little 5th grade munchkins into these grown mini-teenagers. There have been countless laughs, countless days that I had pick me ups because these kids could read me like a book. From the moment they walked into my room, they knew if I was in a good mood, bad mood, if I woke up with coffee etc… Every morning a particular student D.R. would walk into my room with the brightest smile and the biggest GOOD MORNING Mr. NEGRU!!! Those were my favorite days. Which was every day!

Did I tell you that I was going to leave these kiddos? It was because their parents asked me to stay another year. This current school is extremely far from where I live. I drive 50 miles 1 way to get to school. My drives consist of easy 60 min drives. The longest it took was 3+ hours during a snow storm. I left at 3:15 didn’t get home till 7. I do this drive because of these kids. If I didn’t like where I worked I would have found a different job a long time ago, but because these kids made my job so much fun, I enjoyed waking up early, staying late and working with all the kids. Being a teacher is all about delayed gratification. At the moment the kids probably don’t know, and you as a teacher probably don’t know either that you are changing history. Like it or now, as a teacher you have the responsibility to teach these kids, be a mentor, be a role model, give them knowledge and hopefully some it sticks with them at this very young age. I know I can tell you only a few names from my grammar school, and I honestly don’t think the stories are positive for me. I hope I was a positive role model for these kids.

If my kiddos read this blog, they may find it surprising to know that they were not my favorite class at first. I thought the class before there’s was my favorite. It wasn’t until the end of this year, that I realized this class right here has always been my favorite class. I think one of my favorite memories is this group of girls here in 7th grade. They went on an all girls field trip to a shadow day, that I did not get to attend. MY favorite part was when they ran into my room, right before class was over and they had to tell me, Mr. Negru, we were helping high schoolers with their homework! I honestly never felt prouder as a teacher. To see my kids happy that they were doing work, especially math work, cause most kids now a days don’t like work or math. To see them grow in their skills and sending them off on to their next adventure to happiest sad good bye, because I know the times we spent together are now over, and all we have now is the memories. I hope they always remember that in whatever they do, no matter what happens, No Work No Points!.

I can’t describe the sadness I feel because that last few months of school that I was supposed to spend with my kids, was spent teaching them from a computer screen. I tried to make the most of it, but for all of you that had to quarantine you know that the digital is no substitution for the in person. Especially for me, I am so animated and in person, that a computer screen does not do justice. I tried my best, and I made sure that they were supposed to learn what they were supposed to but school is so much more than learning. There is the in person aspect of it, and that’s what they missed out from me. I miss the Friday parties we had, or the bonus fun days I gave them cause they were doing well. I miss them laughing at my music choices, I miss the stories they had, and their drama that they liked to tell me. I missed the last 3 months of their 8th grade year. The year that is supposed to be their most fun, turned into a digital screen time fest. What’s worse, is that I got sick during their graduation I had to miss it. Something that was supposed to be special, I had to what I hated and watched it from a computer screen. The sadness I felt when they texted me and asked where I was 🙁 My 2 favorite students looking for me and I wasn’t there. Something I won’t forget!

What can I say, it’s hard to say goodbye! I can’t to hear all your high school stories, all the tea that I missed out on. I can’t wait for you all to invite me to your graduations. Class of 2020 I hope you guys never forget me. I hope you guys go on and rock the world, change the world, because you should all know this by now, but how many people does it take to ruin for everybody? Just One. BUT How many people does it take to change the world for everyone, Just One! Be that one person who changes the world! I hope you never forget that in whatever you do, NO WORK NO POINTS!!!!