Back to School

Well, it is official, tomorrow is my first meeting of the school year. I think it has something to do with Phonics. You'd think I would know what the topic of the meeting is huh? Truth is, I haven't really thought about it. This summer has gone by so quickly. In three short weeks, I must go back to work. I have meetings before then, but three weeks is when I officially start; the date listed on my contract.

I have the absolute best job in the world! Vacations and summers off with my kids! Just kidding! That really has nothing to do with why I became a teacher and why I love my job so much. You see, teaching isn't a job (and not trying to sound corny or cliche here), it is a passion, it is a part of me; something I know in my heart I am supposed to do. I think that if you were to ask a teacher, a good teacher, why they went into this profession, you would get a similar answer. We don't do it for the pay or because it is such an easy job! I always get quite offended when I hear people say what an easy job being a teacher is. Really?

My contract states that I have to be at school from 8:30 a.m. to 3:55 p.m. daily. (don't quote me on those hours, I could be a few minutes off) I do not know very many teachers that leave the building before 4:30 p.m. every day. I also know a lot of us that spend time at school on the weekends. We spend time at home in the evenings preparing lessons, grading papers, working on report cards. I am not mentioning this to get a pat on the back or to brag about the extra hours I put in. I am merely trying to illustrate that the average teacher puts in a lot of extra hours outside of school.

For me, it is impossible to teach my group of kindergartners for 175 days and not become attached to them. I learn so much about them and get to know them so well. I know when something is bothering them. I know what worries them, frightens them, excites them, makes them happy and what makes them sad. I learn a lot about their homes, their parents, their siblings, their family. I always try to remember to tell parents that I will only believe half of what I hear about them, if they will only believe half of what they hear about me! haha! I have heard some pretty funny stories! I have lost sleep about the student who doesn't want to go home at the end of the day because school is where he feels safe, school is the only stability in his life. I give a hug and the reassurance that I will be there tomorrow. You see, I am not just a teacher. I am a nurse, a protector, a second mom, a cheerleader, a bug killer, a singer, a comedienne, an actress, a friend and for some kids, the only stable thing they can count on each day.

I love being a teacher and will not settle for being an okay teacher or a mediocre teacher. Hell, I won't even settle for being a good teacher. I want to be a GREAT teacher.

I have always been hard on myself. I have always pushed myself to be perfect. I remember learning to jump rope. I cannot even begin to estimate the number of hours I stayed outside in the backyard practicing over and over again until I could do it! I recall hours and hours at the batting cages working on my hitting, endless hours of fielding ground balls, sitting on the floor at home setting a volleyball above my head, over and over, until I had it right! I have always been this way. Driven. Determined. Ambitious.

These three traits can be good, but they can also lead to hospitalization in a mental institution. Because let's face it folks, no matter how hard I work or how hard I try, I will never be perfect. It isn't possible. Despite knowing this, it is what I strive for. Before you ask, NO I have never been institutionalized! LOL

I am always wanting to improve. If I feel I am weak in an area, I will seek out someone better than me and I will find help. I know that there is always room for improvement and I can always grow as a teacher. Don't get me wrong, when I do something well, I can acknowledge it, but I always know that something can be better.

If I ever get to a point in my teaching career that I feel I have learned it all and I am as good as I can be, it is time to move on. There will never be a time when I know all that there is to know. I will always learn and always grow.

So, as I sit here thinking about the upcoming school year, I am excited. Excited to meet my new kinders, excited to start another year, excited to work with two of the most wonderful women in the world on a daily basis, and excited to start fresh; to put last year away and move on. This year will be better. It is already better than last year. At this point last year, I had recently buried my dad and was finding out that I was going to have a difficult and painful surgery that would take me about 8 months to recover from. So, I am already ahead of the game (knock on wood) and looking forward to starting fresh.

Aspen Elementary Kindergarten 2011-2012...her we come...LET'S GET READY TO RUUUUUUMMMMMBBBBBLLLLLLEEEEE!!!!!