Just the highlights.

This evening I discovered a new Facebook site entitled "Teachers with a Sense of Humor."  Certainly having a sense of humor is a giant prerequisite for any teacher -- it helps to keep your jaw off the floor and the curses deep within your brain instead of flying out of your mouth.  In fact, I'm not sure I know a single teacher without the ability to find humor in most situations.

In scrolling through the site, I chuckled quite a bit.  When I came across the picture to the left, I actually laughed aloud, thinking of the way some of my freshmen highlight articles then they research.  (Of course, the picture here appears to be a bible, and the colors may actually match intentional categories of study, but I digress...)

I can't seem to keep highlighters in my classroom.  I start the year with four dozen, and this time of year I am resorting to handing yellow Crayola markers to kids, insisting that they work as well as highlighters.  (And that's after I dug into the depths of my drawer to find the giveaway highlighters that are smaller than the first knuckle on my thumb.)

Highlights.

Highlights are coming.  It's the end of the year, and the inevitable "remember when...." comments will begin to surface.  First from the seniors, who are beginning to wax poetic, in that almost-New-Year's-Eve reminiscing kind of way.  It quickly trickles down as the juniors see "one more year" on the horizon, and the underclassmen who can smell summer coming.

This weekend I pulled out some pictures from a field trip taken 12 years ago.  It only makes sense to be able to contribute the oldest field trip pictures to the annual Senior Slideshow, doing a bit of my own "remember whens" with some memories that many of them will wonder if they even were actually there.  While it seems like just yesterday that I took a small group of students to make pretzels at the Sturgis Pretzel House in Lititz, it was 2/3 of a lifetime ago for the youngest in the group.

Today is the last day in the week known as "Teacher Appreciation Week."  Those of us in the trenches do this job because we love it - not for the fame and fortune.   The Student Council had asked for student nominations for the coveted title of "Teacher of the Day" for each day last week, and they were kind enough to pass along the nominations to every teacher nominated - even if we didn't win.

The highlights listed on the sheets in my mailbox, shared by students, are now highlights of mine, simply because of the time and heartfelt thanks and appreciation of students who took the time to lift me up.  (Both in name and spirit.)

There are many treasures in my memories from this year.  And on Monday I'll get my budget form together, and order 4 dozen highlighters, in assorted hues, so that next year will be just as colorful.