"But I believe in whatever you do and I'll do anything to see it through..."

I haven't blogged in a while and I regret it but I'm going to do my best to catch up.

These past five weeks have been crazy. They have had ups and downs and extreme lows and extreme highs. I've been so busy and not just busy work busy, but busy with a task, a job that is completely new to me. I've been doing well, or so I think, but there's always room for an improvement. Some days I went into the classroom completely confident, only to have my lesson fall flat on my face. They say if they're not learning, you're not teaching. Makes me wonder what I've been doing some days.

I have 10 wonderful students at Webster Elementary on the west side of Chicago who deserve everything in the world. They may behave below par, not understand subtraction, say "cheer it up" when I said "tier it up" but they are students and scholars who deserve the best education in the world. I have built relationships with my students and genuinely care about their well being. I had some students who didn't get any sleep at night, who had tummy aches from not eating, but they didn't let it effect their education which really says a lot. It's weird to know that in 2 days, I'll be saying goodbye and leaving them at Webster, maybe never hearing from them again.

On the bright side, I was placed as a first grade teacher at Windsor Park Elementary in Charlotte and I couldn't be more excited. I finally have students. I have a classroom. I have coworkers. This whole experience that was once such a distant thought is such a reality and I'm living it completely. I love the Charlotte Corps and the people I have been lucky enough to become close with. Although we've been together for only 6 short weeks, we have clung to each other during Institute and been through the experience together. I feel like when we go back to our region, we will be just as strong.

I'm really sad to leave Chicago. I love this city and I wish I had put it higher up on my region preference list. I'm sad to leave my sister and her family because for once we lived in the same state. I'm sad to leave the Chicago corps members I got so close to at Webster and Melody. Such great teachers and now great friends. I'm sad to leave someone I got close to while I was here who showed me the best side of Chicago. I feel like for the past 2 months, all I've been doing is saying goodbye. Goodbye to Orlando and my best friends there. Saying goodbye to Naples and my loving family. Now saying goodbye to the best in Chicago.

To end this on a happier note, I got two notes from my students today and while they are not indicative of our whole experience here, I love their words and will keep these forever.

Note 1: "Dear Ms. Marder. You is my favorite person. You could be my sister."

Note 2: "Dear Ms. Marder. You're my 1+++ teacher."