I am not sure if Tom posted this, but on his facebook page he has links to the play he worked on with his kids, if you have not watched it, do, it is amazing. My admiration for Tom grew as I watched his interaction with those wonderful kids. Tom you are a great teacher and thank you for letting those kids into your life. I know you have said on here you may not be teaching too long, please stay as long as you can, the world would be less bright with teachers like you in it.

Thank you, Jodi.  That was the sweetest thing you could say.  Seeing that documentary pulled at my heart strings, too.  I've talked about the meaning of Edinburgh and our production of AESOP ad nauseum, but that documentary really illustrates how I felt to anyone who'd watch. 

I think my time as a teacher is coming to an end (though I signed on for one more year at my present school), but I want to begin a career in educational advocacy -- specifically music in our schools.  Thank you, though, for thinking I make an impact in these kid's lives.  I hope that's true.

Juan I am glad you are OK.

Tom I am happy to hear you are staying another year, I am also happy to hear you will try to protect the arts in public schools. The school in my area has basically gutted the arts, we had a teacher that would do amazing projects with the kids. In fact she would get the kids to produce the most amazing work, she had the kids in kindergarten studying Jackson Pollock and his style of painting. She had them do the same style of painting and the finished paintings were hanging up in the hall. I was pregnant, was blown away by them and said "Wow she is having them study Jackson Pollock." And it was at that moment I picked the name Jackson.

She was later let go due to budget cuts, they made the gym teacher take over art classes since he had free time.:0(  They have now, due to pressure, hired an actual art/computer science teacher.