TEACH: Lauren Besich

*This was originally meant to be posted on April 6th.  What can I say?  Life happens.*

Yesterday was  my last day of teaching.

Let me repeat: yesterday was my last day of teaching.

After a very emotional nine months at my school, waiting and wishing for this day to come, it has.  And it felt good.  Very good.  Saying that I complained a little about the stresses of work would sadly be an understatement.  Negative Nancy was my M.O.  It was hard.  Towards the end, my job eased a little, whether because I was numb to the stress or started to change my attitude is still to be determined.  I'd like to think it was an attitude change, but I don't feel comfortable giving myself that much credit.

  Sitting here looking into the rear-view mirror of my life, the last year presented a lot of opportunities for growth.  I had countless conversations (aka- pleading sessions) with Baldo about finding another job, but he held strong to his motto: Besiches never quit.  He told me over and over that I could do hard things.  Reluctantly, and, to be quite honest, bitterly, I kept at it, waking up every morning at 5:00am, staying at school until 4:00 or even 5:00 at night.  I had my good days, I had my bad days, and I had my really bad days.  But I kept going.

When my dad called me yesterday to tell me how proud he was of me not giving up, it hit me.  I did a hard thing.  I did it.  In a flash all of the emotions felt over the last nine months consumed me and all I could do was cry.  No words can truly capture the emotions I feel right now; only tears.

Three and a half years ago I embarked on my teaching journey.  Not many pictures exist from the first class I taught; I still block them out of my memory.  My second year showed me the joys of teaching.  Those 8th graders will always have a special place in my heart.

Then came the big move to Guam where I found myself teaching these kids:

 

 

As a teacher, I love discovering the talents my students possess:

I may have forced a few of them into an impromptu talent show:

Somebody call Adam Lavene; I just found the next Voice!

Finally we moved back to Tempe where I taught 8th grade for the final time.  I learned a lot about myself this school year.  I learned that 13 year-olds possess the ability to extract swear words out of my mouth, that attitude is everything, that it's better to walk out of a room when I'm at my wit's end than let my emotions get the best of me, and that sometimes it's okay to let them see me cry.  My favorite lesson I learned is that I can do hard things- even when pregnant.

Enduring the last 9 months had it's final reward: a baby shower thrown by my students.  There was food, there was fun, and this time, I was the one forced into an impromptu talent show (my piano skills are a bit rusty).

Goodbye pencils, goodbye books, goodbye students' dirty looks!

Mrs. Besich, OUT!