I Cried At School
I cried at school yesterday. I was sat at the Reception desk, doing my job, wondering how the school was going to look on Monday, when the majority of the children were no longer going to be attending each day, and an English teacher who taught Top Ender walked past.
I was on the phone, but he caught my eye and gave me a grin and mouthed "Is Top Ender okay after the news last night?" I nodded that she was and mouthed "She's fine" giving a big grin back. He wasn't the first teacher to ask me that morning, several of Top Ender's teachers (and some of my favourites) had already popped by to see me, to talk about the news from the night before and just check-in.
That simple gesture from that English teacher, however, made me cry. Just asking after my daughter suddenly overwhelmed me with the understanding of how much these people love my daughter. How well they know her and how they want what is best for her, just like me and her Dad.
I bawled like a baby and went to the area one of my work buddies has her desk because I needed to be with someone who would understand and she got it immediately, almost without me giving any words to her as to why I was crying.
As we stood, me still bawling another of Top Ender's English teachers came into the Reception area, also crying. This teacher had just been with all the year 11's in an assembly where the teachers were reassuring them that the last three years of studies were not wasted.
They were reassuring them that they would get the grades they deserved.
They were reassuring them that the next steps of their lives were going to be great, that they would go on to do what they wanted to do and their lives would be every bit as fantastic as they dreamed they would be.
The teacher explained that as they had looked around at the students, a thought crossed their mind about how the year 11's looked like their entire worlds had crashed in. They looked shocked and upset and some even looked angry and rightly so because everything they had been working towards had been ripped away.
The teacher had needed to get out of the room before they started to cry and made it as far as the relatively safe space of Reception before breaking out into tears.
We stood there together sobbing for the same reason, the love these teachers have for our children.
I was on the phone, but he caught my eye and gave me a grin and mouthed "Is Top Ender okay after the news last night?" I nodded that she was and mouthed "She's fine" giving a big grin back. He wasn't the first teacher to ask me that morning, several of Top Ender's teachers (and some of my favourites) had already popped by to see me, to talk about the news from the night before and just check-in.
That simple gesture from that English teacher, however, made me cry. Just asking after my daughter suddenly overwhelmed me with the understanding of how much these people love my daughter. How well they know her and how they want what is best for her, just like me and her Dad.
As we stood, me still bawling another of Top Ender's English teachers came into the Reception area, also crying. This teacher had just been with all the year 11's in an assembly where the teachers were reassuring them that the last three years of studies were not wasted.
They were reassuring them that they would get the grades they deserved.
They were reassuring them that the next steps of their lives were going to be great, that they would go on to do what they wanted to do and their lives would be every bit as fantastic as they dreamed they would be.
The teacher explained that as they had looked around at the students, a thought crossed their mind about how the year 11's looked like their entire worlds had crashed in. They looked shocked and upset and some even looked angry and rightly so because everything they had been working towards had been ripped away.
The teacher had needed to get out of the room before they started to cry and made it as far as the relatively safe space of Reception before breaking out into tears.
We stood there together sobbing for the same reason, the love these teachers have for our children.