Rose's class had a poetry reading and party in the garden. I think the most powerful moment for me was chatting with another mom who has been teaching the kids knitting. I didn't realize she had been coming in twice a week, all year. And then there's the parent that's been teaching them crafts and the parent that has been escorting them outside, so the teacher can do bus duty. I am in awe of the contributions these families make. Yes, I put in 6 weeks. It was a lot of work, and it was very nice to have them acknowledge me and give me a present last night, but I'm not the only one offering my time and talents. And frankly, it was a joy.

I was very proud of them at the reading. David was an excellent audience member, exclaiming over every poem. Rose's poem had depth and imagery. She also was able to let go of a part of it that she didn't need anymore. That's hard to do.

I promised one parent that I would be teaching poetry again next year, but maybe to more classes instead of the entire unit here.