I have been reminiscing the last few days. It is almost impossible for me to believe, but this is the beginning of the 5th school year since I turned in my gradebook and keys and quit writing lesson plans for 8th graders. Five years since I laughed with my students. Five years since I read their sometimes heartbreaking/sometimes heartwarming essays and graded spelling tests for hours. (Don't miss those spelling tests a bit!) Five years since I was shocked by their language and the … [Read more...]