I watched closely as 500 students dressed in red, white, and blue sat watching quietly to the images of the beautiful sights and natural beauty our country has to offer.  The music of Ray Charles' "America the Beautiful," played in the background as the images rolled by.

 

As I choked back tears I watched them and thought, "this is what makes the hard work worth it."  I had spent much of my spare time in the last week preparing a Powerpoint presentation for our college Social Studies class and for our student body at Tibbetts Middle School.  My wife told me that she lost count of the hours I spent on this project at about 10. 

 

The time I sacrificed when I could have been painting, reading, or on the computer is nothing when compared to hearing the student body clap, cheer, and whistle at the end.  Although I have loved the school where I have worked for the last three years, and have enjoyed watching students mature, learn, and grow, today I am truly proud to have shared with them what it means to be patriotic and to love their country.  I know in some small way they will take their experience from this day and apply it to their teenage and adult lives.

 

Today I taught each of them that no matter what political party they belong to, whether they agree or disagree on a politcal issue, or whatever their cultural background may be, that we are all Americans and must work together to preserve our freedoms.  To me, THIS is the one of the highest responsibilities of a Social Studies education.