Counting Down to Summer

Tomorrow is the last day of school and we are SOOOO ready for summer. There are some major benefits to Curmudgeon's career choice and 2.5 months off is one of them. His middle schoolers had their final concert of the year on Monday night. We got a babysitter so that I could go watch and now have to tell you how impressed I was. Okay...they didn't sound like professionals, but they're 12-14 years old and for some of them, orchestra class a few times a week is the only instruction they've ever had. But they played some really entertaining pieces and did them well enough to satisfy a snob like myself (even if, as Curmudgeon says they played much better in class than in the concert). More impressive still is how his students interacted with him both at the concert and when I brought the kids in to visit the next day. I can tell that they genuinely like him and enjoy being a part of his class. You're always going to have some so-and-sos who don't want to be there, don't put in any effort or just can't get through their attitude problems, but there are also those who stick it out, work hard, and by the end of the year can be proud of how much they've learned and what they have to show for it. And from the view of this outside observer, those kids really appreciate Mr. Curmudgeon and his teaching. So as frustrating as the first year is for any teacher, I think Curmudgeon should be proud of how he has done--and he should also know how proud I am of him! And now it's summer and we don't have to think about school again for 2.5 months! (well, he'll probably think about it every day and spend a great deal of time selecting and arranging new pieces, mapping out his pedagogical plans and gussying up his classroom. But the point is, he doesn't have to, and when he chooses to, that just makes him an even better teacher!)