Tanner Life

The end of the school year is near. Only 8 days left of this one. Amazing, seems like only a few weeks ago I wrote my "New Crop" blog about my new little friends. The year goes by so quickly. This has been an awesome year. This group of kids is the youngest group as a whole that I have ever had. That being said, they may be the sweetest! The parents have been one of (if not the) best group ever. They are amazing volunteers and many of them have become my very good friends. They have been there for me through some major things in my life this year. I have called on them for volunteers more so than ever in the past, putting them to work in the classroom often! The group of Moms have become my pals in a big way.

I sat down this past week to write individual letters to the kids about the year. The letters are just one of the scrapbook pages in the 44 page book that they will get! (Thanks to the help of some wonderful Moms who helped me this year) It's amazing to see how far some of them have come and how much they have changed. Crazy what 9 months can do. They've grown physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. As excited as I get about the summer (and that is VERY excited), it's still hard for the year to end and say goodbye to the group! We've laughed together and cried together. We say I love you daily and we mean it whole heartedly!

I'm amazed when I think about one who came in my room not being able to recognize a single letter and is walking out the door knowing them all, capital and lower case. I am thrilled that another walked in the door very shy and without talking very much, he's going to walk out the door with a bounce in his step and tons of new friends and experiences behind him. I'm thankful that after days and days and days, that led to weeks and weeks and weeks of working with one little friend on shapes (that most kids know when they get to me, but this little munchkin had a mental block with) that friend walks out the door knowing them all finally. I could go on and on...

I'm thankful that every little friend walks out the door writing their first and last name, writing numbers & letters, being able to cut on lines, knowing rhyming words and opposites, following directions, knowing letter sounds, some being able to do simple addition, a few who are reading....

The thing I hope they all walk out the door with is the understanding that they are special, learning and school is alot of fun, they must always be kind and that they are loved. They are loved by family, friends, teachers and most of all a loving God! If they can remember those few simple things, I have done my job!