I'm done!

CCD for the 2009-10 school year is officially finished!  I am relieved and a bit sad at the same time.  It seems like the school year flew by.

On Sunday I lost track of time with my kindergarten class.  We had a slight craft snafu and I needed to call for help to get the project completed.  Because we had a time change for the kindergarten session a month before, and because I'm used to teaching a 75 minute class for the 7th graders I totally blanked on the fact that my class was ending at 10am.  I was convinced that my class wasn't going to be over until 10:15.  Because of this mix up and because I was desperately trying to make sure the Mother's Day gift the kids were making got completed, I didn't get to really say goodbye to my kindergarten class.  I said goodbye to each child as they were leaving and most gave me a hug, but I didn't get to have the farewell I wanted.  It's probably just as well that I didn't because I probably would have cried.

Tonight I was all geared up to bid an enthusiastic farewell to the 7th graders.  Four of the the kids were so quiet that I barely got to know them.  They simply didn't want to engage in any conversation with me.  Another handful loved talking to me and were really great about participating for Jolly Ranchers and then there was the group of kids who were there simply to socialize.  They also loved talking to me and while the one was convinced that I hated her (I didn't, I liked her a lot, but I felt she was obnoxious and disrespectful to the other kids when she'd loudly interrupt and talk over them while they read or asked questions.) I really liked them all.  I had plenty of weeks where I wondered why I even bothered to teach them while I was there and trying to get them to act civilized, but in the end it always came back to me just knowing that there was a reason for me being there.  I had days where I wondered if anything I taught was absorbed, and occasionally I'd be surprised when a student who I was convinced wasn't paying attention in the least actually knew the answer to one of my trivia review questions.  Tonight was one of those nights where I was surprised.  So in the end I'm happy that I'm done with 7th grade, but at the same time I'm a little sad to see them go.  I liked all of the kids and I'm sure I'll miss them.  I even felt a little twinge of sadness when I handed in my 7th grade manual.  If 3rd grade doesn't work out for me next year, I'm sure I can go back to 7th grade the following year.  They're always looking for 6th, 7th and 8th grade catechists.

I worried when I decided to leap into the world of CCD that I'd be out of my element.  I wasn't sure if I had any place there as a convert to the faith.  I even thought that I might regret my decision to teach these kids.  Now I know that this was something that I needed to do.  I've gained so much by giving a few hours of my time each week.  I'm so happy that I decided to follow this calling.  It's been a wonderful adventure and I'm already looking forward to September.