A Letter to My Seniors

In honor of my seniors, who will celebrate their last full day of school today:

...I told you this year would go by quickly!  This has been a year of triumphs and obstacles; a year of cheers and tears; a year of lessons learned and roles reversed.  Although you all are my students and I am your teacher, I think I have learned just as much from you as I hope you have learned from me.

What You Have Taught Me:

• Teenagers are extremely caring towards teachers' babies.  When I think about this year and why I feel it was so special, it is the way you all bonded with Miller and the relationships that grew with him all year.  As a mom and teacher, there is nothing more heart-swelling then seeing your 9 month old's face light up when his momma's high school kids walk into the room or sing "Happy Birthday" to him for the very first time.  You will always hold a special place in Andrew's and my heart for being such a large part of Miller's first year of life.
• To not take myself so seriously and to laugh at myself often.  I think #dailydolan is the only explanation I need for this lesson.
• A tough teenage exterior can be broken in a moment by the voice of a Head Start student or the home-run of a Miracle League baseball player.
• Tough love is necessary sometimes (y'all will go down in history as my first Service Learning class to ever be grounded:))!  We all know what a pushover I can be, but I learned this year sometimes no matter how badly I don't want my students to get in trouble, tough love is a must in certain situations.
• Some of the most quiet students can pack the biggest punch when it comes to community service work.
• Bro tanks are now an acceptable part of the male wardrobe (although I will continue to fight against this lesson as I have a strong disliking for the sleeve monster attacking guys' shirts.
• My former sorority girl self comes out very regularly...but that is not a bad thing!:)
• The best way to point is pinky forward, thumb-up...whoo!

...It never seems to fail, on days I need it the most, one of my growns will send a message, call or email to catch me up on all their latest happenings.  In the six years I have been teaching, I have watched my growns start successful careers, thrive in college, begin medical school, lose a family member or friend, make friends in a new big city, get married, have children, travel abroad and learn from mistakes they make along the way.

Your teachers' greatest goal is to help you prepare for life as a successful adult.  We hope you will experience life to it's fullest.

What I Hope For You:

• That you never lose your idealism, your Pollyanna style.  So many adults will tell you life is tough and that young people don't grasp the real world.  Yes, there are plenty of moments in life that are tough but I know you are strong enough to weather the storm, so...please, please, please, I hope you never lose your idealism.  The greatest movements, inventions, and discoveries come from the most pure idealists.
• That you will let people in.  I know so many of you have experienced loss in your young lives (loss that some people could never understand), but I hope it will no longer stop you from letting love in.  People want to be a part of your world, because you are the type of person that others want to be around.  Please let people into your life without fear of them leaving.  Whether it be for a fleeting moment or the rest of your life, you never know what role that person may play in your life or what lessons may be learned from that relationship.
• That you are your greatest 90% of the time (no one expects you to be perfect all of the time).
• Travel, travel, travel...intern, intern, intern.  I know you hear the "travel advice" often from adults but it really is something to take to heart.  I hope you travel, I hope you intern.  Intern with companies, agencies, government officials, etc to see if what you are interested in, is truly something you could spend your whole life happily doing.  I hope you learn your co-workers' names and know their story.
• That you understand that although money doesn't make the world go round or buy your happiness, it does make daily life a little easier.  I hope you never sell yourself, your intelligence or your abilities short.  My hope for you is to not fall victim to the credit debt so many college students deal with.
• That you remember your hearth source when you diffuse out into the world! Remember the family members who guided you, hugged you, and helped you get to this day: your last day of high school and the start of the next chapter of your life.  I hope you remember the community that watched you grow up.  The community you will live in and the community you came from would love to benefit from your success and your knowledge of service work.
• That you know you might no longer sit in my classroom desks or belong in my gradebook, but you are always my student, you are always a bulldog and I will always be there for you... corny, yes... but very true.  You have just reached a different status: You are now one of my growns.

Congratulations on becoming an alumnae of THE Springdale High School!!  

Woof! Woof!

-Mrs. Dolan