Summer! It signals the end of an academic year for teachers. I had a great academic year 2006-2007. For the first time since 2002, I had the pleasure of just fulfilling my role as a class teacher. No administrative work, no evenings spent typing up work to prepare for a meeting....alas, just myself and the kids. Teaching has been a great surprise to me. I honestly never thought I would enjoy it. It was certainly not one of my top career choices. I just completed my fifth year of teaching in April 2007. I have to say, in retrospect I believe it is a holy, sacrosanct profession. I tell my husband that it is even more paramount than his position as a surgeon. Patients go to him, they get medicine or have on operation. Eventually they find a solution, feel better and then they go on with their lives. Teachers on the other hand leave an imprint upon kids that they carry with them through the rest of their academic life and into their professional lives, post education. At first I found this a bit daunting, as I am very careful about what I chose to commit to. I was overwhelmed by the enormity of my task and I was almost paralyzed by thoughts of anxiety, fear, and insecurity. Was I setting them up for future academic success, was I meeting all of their needs, what is the protocol for answering this question, did I choose the proper method for this situation, was my involvement in their lives for eight hours a day having a negative or positive effect? It took a couple of years, but I finally found my footing and I have since realized that this is exactly where I am supposed to be, doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing at this exact moment in time. Maybe my planets are in proper alignment, or I have found my authentic self in some way, perhaps I am finally on my purpose driven path. I am not sure...what I do know is that I love going to work everyday. I feel good when struggling students meet milestones, and I am encouraged when I have helped a parent understand that children are not "cookie cutter kids" and that his/her son is just as special and gifted even if they are unable to perform commutative and associative properties of math in grade 1. I was sad to see the school year come to an end. My kids will move on to the next grade, a new teacher, and new learning experiences. They will eventually forget about Mrs. Stephanie as they journey through their academic lives. I do hope that once in a while, they will pass by a bookstore and venture a look inside...perhaps they will take part in a conservation and preservation effort in their neighborhood or city. Who knows...perhaps they may even grow up and lead their country or nation with respect for individualism, tolerance for opinions, race, creed and religiosity, and a pluralistic understanding of values and customs. Each time I see a young person read a book, learn about the beauty and awe of nature, or display basic human kindness to another individual....I am satisfied and assured that all is right in the world.

Until next time,

A Woman of Egypt