A Little Cheer For Y'all

>Amidst all the gloominess and heartache I'm reading on my friends >list at the moment, I thought I'd just share some good things that >have happened lately.

>1). As y'all know, I had a bit of a hard time in the middle of
>this year. All the crap that was going had quite an effect on my
>teaching. I wasn't nearly effective as I could have been. A black >cloud was forming over me and people were starting to talk. Luckily, >I have a very supportive staff cohort around me and I had a good long talk with my principal about what was going on in both my >teaching and my life. He set me four mentors who've been checking up >on me regularly and they delivered a report to him last week. This >week I had another interview with me and he said he was >delighted with how I'd managed to turn things around and >become a better teacher. He also sent me a letter to that effect. I >feel so much better about my work, knowing that I'm appreciated and >that my wellbeing is being observed by those around me.

>2). Yesterday we had team building activities at school. One >of the activities involved kids climbing a ladder, jumping off a >platform,hooking themselves upsidedown and then falling, all while >buckled to a harness. Most kids did this really well and had the >time of their lives, but there were a few that had difficulties. One of these was a kid in one
> of my english classes, who I'll call B. B totally freaked when he
> realised what he'd be doing. He flat out refused. Hell, he not only
> refused, but starting calling himself a loser and a coward. I took >the guy aside, had a talk to him and twenty minutes later he was on >his second jump off the tower. I felt so good that I had taken that >kid and talked him out of the prison of his fears and insecurities. >The smile on his face was reward enough for me. I'll remember it for >years.

> I hope reading that made you feel kinda good. :)