Best Teacher Present, Ever.

My principal and our curriculum specialist made one of these for each teacher on campus as a Christmas present.   I love it and it hangs on my classroom wall.

In a sneaky manner, which I suspect involves my assistants, the children in my class were asked to tell something about me.  I love that I am happy, silly, funny, and nice.  Pretty and tall don't hurt much, either!  There is that odd "barbie" comment but I think, given that my children have speech and language deficits, that the intended word is "baby."   Playhouse and baby dolls have been big this year and I try to spend language development time with some of the kids while they are playing in the house and with the babies.

I asked about Teacher.  It was not added by the principal or curriculum specialist.  They added the school name, my name, and my grade level.   "Teacher" came from the kids.

Teacher is a title that has not rested easily for me over the years.  I'm a speech and language pathologist with an authorization for a classroom.   I see myself as a speech and language therapist and resist being labeled a teacher.

The more I look at this, though, the more I am honored and delighted with the title of Teacher.  It is how my children know me and how their parents think about me.   I think I need to shake out the title and wear it with pride.