So today I'm spending the day as a substitute teacher at my old High School, Reservoir. I came in thinking I would get all these weird feelings, maybe some nostalgia, or something else. I gotta be honest though, I just feel comfortable.
I hated high school when I was here. I had some good teachers whom I absolutely loved, but overall I was a kid who never knew when to shut his mouth, and quickly became a social outcast from friends I had grown up with. I didn't really have a group where I felt like I belonged, and I definitely had a very fragile ego combined with low self-confidence.
As time has gone on, I've grown an appreciation that I never expected I'd have for this place. I've grown to a point where I try to focus on the positive in my life (which may come as a surprise if you read my Washington Football Team blogs), and maybe I'm just electing to block out the negative memories of being here. Some stick with me, namely because a couple teachers that I hated are still here, as well as my old lacrosse coach. But it just feels easy to move past that while I'm here.
My first couple periods are planning periods, so I decided to take the early part of my day to try and see some of the teachers that I loved and I knew were still here. I was surprised that so many of them remembered me, and remembered me fondly. My favorite teacher of all time is still here, and I could not wait to see him. I also got to see my old Cross Country and Indoor Track coach, pick his brain some about some coaching tips he may have, and even saw a teacher I only had my Freshman year who still remembers me!
I thought being a sub at my old school would feel weird, but the more I've thought about it, I don't know why more people don't do this if they're considering being a teacher. I feel like I know these kids because, well, I was one of them at one point in time. I guess this is one of those unexpected victories that we can find throughout life.
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