There are all sorts of awards for teachers. The Presidential awards, NEA awards, National and State level awards, and more. There are also awards and honors given in more narrow areas like NCTM for math and our own ACM.

I've haven't won any and never expected to. I've never played well with the establishment.

It's ok though. For every honoree that I can point to and say "there's a master teacher," there are half a dozen who you look at just know that it was more about politics and connections than about teaching chops.

Like anyone else, though, I do like a pat on the back and it is nice to get some confirmation that you're having a positive effect on kids lives.

So what are my awards? Well, I received what I consider my highest honor this past weekend. I was in Hot Springs Arkansas for Jen and Marcel's wedding.

It was a great weekend with old friends and new celerbrating a wonderful event and I couldn't be happier for the couple.

As a teacher, to be included in your former students life events is as big as it gets. I can't begin to say how honored I was to be included in their day. Even more special, that Marcel's brother Barnabas and his wife Suki are my oldest couple - they started dating back in my class back in the beginning.

It's not the first time I've been invited to former students weddings. I've seen around a dozen or so of my students wed. Every time it's special, just as it's special when a former student decides to reach out to let me know how they're doing or to reconnect in general. When they elect to share part of their lives with me, it tells me that I was at least a little bit of a force for good way back when.