As teachers, we are lucky that we get to be witnesses to many milestone moments in your children's lives: successes in the classroom, triumphs on the field, celebrations of the everyday. Of course, those moments can include adolescence's tragedies too: friend fights, difficulty with grades, acne. But I love being with your students through all of it. Being with your children every day is the best part of my job. I feel lucky that I get to, in a small way, share them with you. You get them for a life time; I get them for, at best, four years. Watching your children grow up over the course of high school is one of the greatest perks of my job. Though it probably shouldn't amaze me year-after-year, I am always in awe of the student who grew a 5 inches in one summer, the student who has matured beyond belief, the student who once seemed lost, but now has found his way. So, it is with great joy that I share one of my absolute favorite Milestone Moments--the removal of braces. I have no idea why I love it so much when students get their braces off. Perhaps it is because I remember the utter glee I experienced when I got mine off when I was a high school freshman. I remember how I felt like it changed my entire face, and in a way, I suppose, it did. This Milestone Moment happened today, and what made it extra special was that it happened for TWO students. Look at those new, bright and shiny smiles! In short, thank you for sharing your children with me. I'm so glad I get to be a part of their lives--big moments and small.
