The Benefit of Amazing Colleagues

Teaching wouldn't be nearly as fun if it wasn't for amazing colleagues!!  I have been SO blessed to have amazing colleagues!  Let me tell you about them... BUT, as Joe Friday used to say, "Names have been changed to protect the innocent"...
First, there's my wonderful, crazy, "slightly" neurotic former mentor, Charisma.  Charisma is a wonderful single mother who has helped guide me in these past two years.  Whenever I have NO idea what is going on, or am about to split into pieces, I wander across the hall to Charisma's classroom and chat for a big.  She's the big sister I was never blessed enough to have, full of knowledge about work, and life.  She's my confident and available whenever I, or anyone, needs her.  Charisma is one of the student's favorites... probably because she's a little crazy and sanitizes her hands about every .32 seconds.  And yet, she is an AMAZING literacy teacher... and has state test scores to prove it... and will correct your grammar every moment she can.  In fact, I imagine her reading this, editing it in her head.  I wouldn't be surprised if she told me Monday morning all the mistakes made in my writings.  Well, in my defense, these are the ramblings of a Social Studies teacher, and I was never quite up to snuff on my English prose or anything like that.  I can categorically say I would not have survived (nor have returned for year two) if it wasn't for Charisma.
Right next door to the amazing Charisma is the phenomenal Lily.  She has been in the educational system, working in the city schools of Baltimore as a teacher and administrator, and now she is my colleague in the west.  I have another wonderful lady to look up to, learn from, and admire.  Lily has currently been going through some terrible medical times, and yet she has the courage and determination to come to school and teach.  The students' love for her is so clear.  When she is on bed rest, they refuse to email work for her to edit or grade, because they want her to rest and get better.  I have absolutely no idea how she makes it out of bed somedays, and yet every morning, she stops in on her way to her room, arms loaded down with book bags and fruit for the kids.  She touches every soul that has had the pleasure to have met her.
One of my other saving graces at school is our amazing school councilor, Regina.  Regina and I started at our school the same year.  I was blessed to have met her during a school training in "Why Try" before our New Teacher Induction week.  Walking into the conference room that first day of training, I looked around for seats and I saw a kind face looking back at me, so I decided to sit next to her.  Who would have thought she'd become such a good friend (and my daily therapist).  Whenever I need a break, a smile, an ear to listen, a printer to use, or any other crazy thing I may need, Regina is there.  Half the time I just appear in her office, and there are many times that she's actually working and I'm bummed to see her door shut.  But, inevitably she pops by throughout the day to visit, so the world rights itself.  Even when I'm having ridiculous life problems and need advice, Regina never thinks I'm crazy or stupid.  She listens and advises me... and I know she would never lead me astray.  Regina has such a kind soul.  She seems to always be volunteered for things... almost always things she (nor anyone else) does NOT want to do... and yet she does them to perfection.  She is so amazing that when my husband was out of town prior to our wedding reception, she asked if I needed help with anything.  I told her, not really, unless you want to help me clean my house.  Now, I was kidding, but Regina says, Okay.  When do you want to clean?  She was over for two plus hours helping me clean EVERYTHING!  Two floors of carpet cleaning, kitchen cleaning, floor scrubbing, organizing, etc.  She wouldn't even let me buy dinner that night.  How I ever survived in life without Regina, I have no idea.  Life DEFINITELY was harder back in those days.
Moving further down the hallway, we arrive at Stanley's room.  Stanley is another English teacher I have the honor of working with.  If there was a person with the craziest stories, it would be Stanley.  Anytime at lunch when Stanley tells a story, you know it's going to be crazy and it would be in your best interest to not be eating or drinking at the time of a "Stanley Tale" lest you choke during your laughter, or shoot liquid through your nose like you did as a child.  At school, lunchtime is the one time the teachers get to separate for teaching and unwind for 30 minutes.  It's usually a time to talk about anything brainless... and usually ridiculous... conversation.  Thank goodness for Stanley, because he helps us fulfill the crazy story quota for the week... and it brings laughter to our days.
On the other side of the school bathrooms from me is my amazing blonde math-teaching twin, Krissy. Krissy is not only from the Midwest, like me, but she survived high school by partaking in the same crazy music activities as me.  I can't even think of how many times a day we make the same comments or references... and every time we do, I start to chuckle again.  Like me, she just recently got married (both to military men) and is a new homeowner.  Neither of us can participate in the bike riding talk that happens over lunch, so we discuss random dresses that people wore on the red carpet or various ways students get mad at us.  She is new to our school this year, and I don't know is our principal has magic power, but I swear he knows exactly the type of person that will complete and fulfill our group.  It never ceases to amaze me how I see little bits of me in Krissy. 
There are about a dozen more people that make my life easier and more enjoyable at school... and clearly you wouldn't want to read about them all... but their are just two more I want to briefly mention.
Mackenzie is our crazy wonderful red-haired art teacher.  Mackenzie has an infectious laugh... you CANNOT hear it and not want to laugh with, regardless of whether or not you know what the laughing is about.  She has a gravity that pulls you towards her... you want to be around her and be her friend.  She is an amazing teacher (whether or not district can open their eyes wide enough to notice).   Somehow she has drawn our students into art... they actually love to go and create things... and they're proud of their work!  It's amazing enough to have our students love to go to art, but to be proud of something they did is a whole other level of awe.
Last, but certainly not least, is the nutty man that brought these misfit toys together, Jackson.  If we were to all stand in a room with others from the district, it would be very easy to tell which of us belong with which leader... and everyone else would be jealous of leader.  He is a HUGE supporter of ours... almost like a protective father that is training us to be phenomenal teachers.  If we ever have ideas (brilliant or not), Jackson will listen and give us leeway to attempt.  If we fall on our face, he helps encourage us and put us back on track.  If it's successful, he stands behind us to support us however we need.  Jackson isn't like regular principals... he goofs with us, eats lunch with us, picks on us, plays jokes on us... all good things and provide a healthy and happy work environment.  Our district has been going through a lot of HUGE changes lately, and if it wasn't for Jackson, we would all be falling apart and probably quitting our job.  He is our fearless leader, and we completely trust him to find a way to do what's right for us, no matter which "bigwigs" is trying to pull us down.
Thank goodness for my wonderful, amazing, phenomenal, marvelous, stupendous, unbelievable, extraordinary, charming, energizing, and soul-touching colleagues!!!!