Courtney

First, I'd like to start by thanking those who have left their kind words and are interested in my little corner of cyberspace. I was really excited to see all the love and am excited about building new friendships. Thank you for stopping by and I hope I can keep ya entertained.

I apologize for the novel of a story that was posted yesterday. I didn't think it was going to be that long. But if you hung around and were able to get through the whole thing, thanks for reading! :) Even though it has only been 3 months, some of the details are already getting a little fuzzy.

Now, without further adieu, let's get this "C" party started.

C is for Courtney

{via}

2008 marked the year of my first ever, professional job. I started in August with my very first high school health class. I was nervous, anxious and excited all at the same time. I wondered if I would be a good teacher, and if my students would learn anything in class and take it with them past high school.

I survived for the most part, with just a few bumps along the road. My students were interested in topics we discussed. They asked questions and sought out answers. We got to the reproductive system and abstinence part of the semester, and I'm not going to lie, I panicked just a little. What kinds of questions would my students ask me? Would I be able to answer them? I approached it in a professional manner, and told my students that if there was anything they did not feel comfortable talking about in front of the class, my door was always open if they needed to talk. My students, let's just say, were not shy at all about asking questions, which probably made my face turn about 3 shades of red. There were not too many students who came to me after class to discuss anything (which I was totally ok with.)

And one day it happened.

One of my students, Courtney, came to me at the end of class as I was packing up and said she needed to talk to me. So I put my stuff down, and said "sure, what's up?"

"Coach, I think I might be pregnant."

I panicked.

I didn't know what to say to her, but I definitely had a mild panic attack on the inside, hoping I would say the right thing.

I explained symptoms of pregnancy to her, and advised her to talk to her mom and then go from there once she was able to confirm she was in fact, pregnant.

She talked with her mom, confirmed the pregnancy, and made it through the rest of the semester.

I saw her here and there around school, and we chatted, but that was about it. She had come to me for advice on what to do about her boyfriend a few times, and I didn't really think I would see her past graduation.

As a teacher, you never really know the impact you have on students until years later, if that.

I have often thought of her, wondering what she has been up to, and how her baby was doing.

Courtney came up to the school a few weeks ago, daughter in hand. I walked passed her, unsure if it was her or not. I came back and stopped so I could talk with her. She looked at me and screamed with excitement, and gave me the biggest hug. We chatted for a few minutes while she was getting paperwork for school, and she said "Do you have class right now? I don't even want to go, I just want to chat with you and catch up."

We chatted about this and that. I was really pleased to be able to see her doing well, and turning her situation into something positive. I'm glad I was able to be a positive role model for her, and that we had a great teacher-student relationship. It's rewarding to see those kids come back and know that they got the life lessons you were teaching. And it's moments like that which remind you why you got into teaching.

So what about you? Do you have a teacher or role model who has positively impacted your life? What do you wish you could tell that person to let them know you valued their "teachings?"