Taking the "G" out of Megan

In Chimacum, when my kids would whine about how mean I am, I would simply smile and say, "Well, yeah, that's my name, you know."

"But your name is Miss Cooper!"

"Yes, but my first name is Megan. What happens when you take out the 'g'?"

This always drew confused looks, so I'd write my name on the board:

M E G A N

Then I'd cross out the 'G,' and the light would dawn. My kids would giggle and say, "I get it!! You're mean!"

We all know I've struggled this year, personally and professionally. I made mistakes along the way, and in a lot of ways, I allowed my seniors to have way too much leadership in the classroom. It made things harder on me, and it did not make my program run smoothly. To say this year has been a bumpy ride is the Understatement of the Century. Seriously.

On Thursday I was talking with two of my closest mentors from this year, Karen and Maria. Even to the very last day of school, the power struggle between me and the seniors persisted. Change does not come easily to most people, especially kids. Karen and Maria reminded me that next year will be better, I know what I'm doing now, etc. They also told me, "No more Ms. Nice Guy! Be mean to the little suckers!"

I smiled and said, "Yeah...it's my name you know."

Of course, I was met with a couple of blank looks."

"Cross of the 'g' in my name...what do you get?"

They laughed uproariously at this, and now my motto for 2007-2008 is "Taking the 'G' out of Megan."

So yeah, it's been a hell of a year, but I made it. As I said to my parents, "You didn't raise no quitter!" After years and years (and years) of hearing my dad say, "Coopers aren't quitters," I can finally understand why it was so important to him that I stick things out. Even when the going gets tough (hey, the tough go shopping, so it's all good).

Thursday was my last day of school. I wanted to blog about it, but it's taken a couple of days for the enormity of what I've accomplished this year to sink in. For some of the hurts I've lived through to stop twinging. For the vodka to make it through my system...

I sat through graduation this morning, enjoying the pomp and circumstance of it all, and remembering how happy I felt at my own graduation. I saw some girls crying, but not me. I was grinning ear to ear. Today, I saw so many faces reflecting that same feeling. Pride. Relief. Happiness. Excitement for the future.

And so, my friends, I present to you the class of 2007. Some of them were pretty damn rude to me, but most of them were okay. I'm proud to have known them--even the bad ones. They shaped me as a teacher and as a person. They helped me to define who I want to be as a teacher. I won't forget them any time soon.







As I walked out to my car after the ceremony, I whispered under my breath to them, "Go with God, my little divas."