On the sunny side of the street

Warm sunny days can make a world of difference, at least in my life.

Although a wee bit cool and breezy, the days are turning into fabulous springtime. The sun is also up early, before 6 a.m., like me. So I get up to sunlight streaming into the living room and lighting up the whole hallway. In the evenings, the sun is setting later, and farther north, so our bedroom is alight with the sunsets. I get up smiling and go to bed happy. Tired, but happy.

The days are very busy, as I knew May days would be. Appointments, yard work, school wrap-up. Making connections, seeing people. Looking at summer plans. My to-do list is long, the calendar boxes filled.

Getting my balance ball back has helped. Getting over that stupid cough and respiratory ailment even better. Good reports from the medical checkup. A friend reopening her food purveying business. FaceTimes with daughter and grandchildren. Small things to many, huge things for me.

One hiccup, but it’s over—yearly 12 question assessment with first graders. I did this on Wednesday. Came home and collapsed on the couch. It is so hard to give paper-pencil assessment to wiggly, squirrely, end-of-the-year students. After 10 years it gets no easier, maybe even harder as there are fewer and fewer paper-pencil assignments given to students. It’s all done on the computer screen. I’ve decided, that if I return next year, I will not do an end of year assessment. I have a better, though unquantifiable, way of knowing I’m making a difference.

On Wednesday, having arrived to school early, I stepped out on the playground to see the third and fourth graders at lunch recess. When they saw me, they came running. “Mrs. Zody, Mrs. Zody, remember me.” I handed out stickers, gave hugs, asked about how they were doing. They were all enthusiastic, telling me how well they were doing. Smiles every where.

One little girl stood back from the group, and I didn’t recognize her. I smiled and asked her if she was new to Columbia, had she been there for first grade…she shook her head. I introduced myself and told her I read books to the first and second graders. She smiled and accepted a sticker. The others started telling her about the books and puppets and jingles. There! That is the only assessment I need.