As North East ISD teachers clean out their classrooms and wrap up the 2019-2020 school year, they’re more focused than ever about the things that called them to this profession in the first place: the relationships they forge with their students.
So we are taking a moment to let them reflect on what they found during this lost time.
Tasia Puente is an Alternative Learning Environment (ALE) teacher at Regency Place Elementary School. Because of her unique role, watching the school year come to an end so abruptly was tough.
"For me, an ALE teacher, we get the opportunity to have our kids multiple years," said Puente. "We see them from little accomplishments to big accomplishments when we have them year after year, so it's hard not to get that chance to say goodbye. They are my babies."
When the time came to clean out her classroom for the summer, she was flooded with memories and emotions.
“It was hard only because I had to clean out their desks of their personal items and see everything that they were excited to finish up and come back to from spring break," said Puente. "My fifth graders were writing about being excited about the fifth-grade field trip, but in the face of adversity, it's going to do nothing but build them up and make them stronger."
While the cleanout was bittersweet, it also reminded her of the fun times and memories that were made before COVID-19 hit.
"I try not to focus on just this last bit of it, but Christmas, seeing their faces when they got to meet Santa, oh man," said Puente. "My kids were blown away, so that was probably my greatest memory - when they got to meet Santa Claus at our Christmas party."
Puente will also remember how Regency Place became a second home for its students and staff.
"All the grade levels were really inclusive to my kids, and it's hard for them to go into a Gen-Ed classroom and feel like they are accepted sometimes," said Puente. "And it's been like that all year long [with] those students, including us in their fun parties and fun science experiments."
Tasia wants her students and all the students in NEISD to know while this year ended in an unfortunate way, it's not all bad.
"Adversity. You are always going to have that, my students know better than anyone, but you're going to overcome it, and you're going to be better for it."
So she looks forward to everyone getting back in the classroom, stronger and more determined than ever. Tasia Puente is just one of the teachers showing how #NEISDcares.
