My December calendar grows fuller each day. Yesterday was my last day in my student-teaching placement. With my mentor’s approval, I planned fun educational games to play with cheap pencils, erasers, and candy for rewards—the students loved it. I left the building at the end of the day with an armload of gifts and cards. The math teacher, social studies teacher, and administrator I worked closely with surprised me by each handing me a reference letter to use as I apply for positions. It ...