My First Jobs & New Design!!

Tuesday was my first day of teaching and it was incredibly successful! 1st graders are totally different than 2nd graders (which is what I'm used to) - that's for sure! You know immediately when you see the kids walk in who are the talkers, the helpers, the need-reminding-ers. To see the smiles on faces of students as well as get a few, "You're the best teacher ever!"'s - even though they have NO idea who I am - makes you feel so happy and love what you do even more. There will NEVER be another job where you get hugs by students you have just met but that are affectionate towards you because they trust you. I love what I do, even if it's just to sub for a day. Teachers have the BEST job in the world :)

Yesterday (Wednesday) was my second day of teaching and it was fantastic. This was my first time experiencing 5th grade, but these kids were absolutely delightful. The teacher I subbed for did only Language Arts... now let me tell you, Language Arts is not my strong point. I've always struggled with grammar and so forth, especially in the younger grades. But, this was a simple day as it was only half day, and the lesson, well, I repeated it twice so I got the hang of it after the first one was done. We worked on vocabulary words (moocher, hospitable, and delectable), and then did some free writing. I was AMAZED at the topics that some of them were writing about. There were things from their trips to Key West to when their Grandmas got cancer to being excited because their parents just got engaged. The length of writing for some of them could have improved, but it was a free write so there were really no expectations. I was very impressed with this class and really enjoyed having the opportunity to teach them. Maybe I will again?!

What I am, though, really, really touched by is how fast some students are forced to grow up due to situations in their lives outside of school. I am impressed that some students have gone through hell and back, yet are still the hardest working students I have ever seen in my life. I've heard of students going through 3 years of cancer, battling it until it was gone, and then continuing on. I've heard of students being abused by their mother or father for years, yet still continuing on. These students are the strongest students I've ever seen, and although they were forced to grow up quicker, it only makes them stronger in the long run. I thought I was being forced to grow up when I had to make the quick decision about my father when he was dying, but man, these children around us are growing up faster than I would ever dream of them to. Kudos to those children for taking their situations and making the best of them.

On a more happy note, I GOT A NEW BLOG LAYOUT!!!! I absolutely adore the way it turned out. Megan, over at I Teach. What's Your Super Power?, has a design blog that she's been working with various people from - it's called A Bird in Hand Blog Design. She has been one of the most patient, hard working people I have ever met, especially after dealing with all my requests. She's diligent and quick in her work, all the time making sure that I enjoyed what she was making. I absolutely LOVED working with Megan and I think if you're in the market for a new design, she's your girl.

I'm on my way out the door to go to North Carolina to see Cody for the weekend! I'll likely not post for a few days... BUT, when I get home... you won't want to miss out on what I'll be posting!! :)

Have a good and safe Labor Day weekend, y'all!