My Class, 5C, The Surprise

Yesterday morning, a couple of girls from my class came and asked me if it was ok for them to take some time during my math lesson to give me a surprise. For one, it isn't much of a surprise since I had been informed; nonetheless, I told them to go ahead as long as it didn't take too long 'cos there was the Cube-n-ometry activity to do. Still, I wondered what in the world was my class up to and I felt kinda warm and fuzzy inside, especially since they had been respectful and polite by asking permission to do something. I suppose it was better for them to prepare me right in the beginning, otherwise I would have shed a tear or two. One of my pupils walked to the front and read an approximately 10-second speech thanking me for teaching them on behalf of the entire class. Following that, I was presented a handmade book containing pages after pages of gratitude that each pupil in my class had written. It also contained drawings of me climbing Everest... that's really cute. As I flipped through the pages, read each word to myself and thanked everyone, I felt that familiar heaviness in my heart and realised, for once this year, I didn't have the right words to say to them. Drats, I hate to be all sentimental and sappy about such things.

I asked them whose idea was it, but no one said anything. It was a collaborated effort, someone or a group of people had taken up the task and got everyone involved. I have been thinking more and more about my teaching career, wondering if there may be other things for me to do instead of teaching. It is times like these when it's good to be reminded that maybe, just maybe, I have done something worthwhile with my life.

Btw, CML, if you are reading this, the class doesn't want you to know that they did this for me... :)