Thoughts on teaching

The last 3 months have gone by in a blur. I have felt like I am barely keeping my head above water in most areas of my life and that is not a feeling I like. Teaching 4th grade has been a learning experience for me. It has made me realize that I enjoy older elementary kids. It has been very hard to come into a classroom and take over for someone else. I was given no information whatsoever and was basically told to be the teacher. The kids really have taken advantage of my lack of information and it has really been an uphill battle to manage the classroom. That has always been my biggest challenge as a teacher so it has really been tough for me.

Haylie and Zander have done really well at day care. There are mornings when the don't want to get up and go but they always have fun while they are there. I am glad that Dave drops them off most mornings because every time I have to I shed a few tears. I feel sad sometimes to think of all the time I am missing with them. I can't wait for the summer when things can slow down a bit and I can be there for them. I have become keenly aware of how much I love them and how quickly they will grow up. Being away from them everyday has given me a totally different perspective.

Next year Haylie will be going to kindergarten and Zander will be going to preschool for part of the day so I have decided that I will job share a teaching position in second grade. I will teach in the afternoons from 11:15 until 2:45. I am excited to have the time at home to keep up the house and spend some one on one time with Zander. The person that I will be teaching with already has an established classroom and just wants to start teaching part time. It should be a pretty easy transition to just pick up with what she has done in the past. Zander will be at preschool for part of the time I am gone and the other couple of hours we haven't decided where he will go. I think it will be nice because I have a feeling that once Haylie is gone all day Zander would get bored hanging out with me all day. I am exciting for the prospect of having something think about and a reason to get up and get ready each day without having it consume my whole life. Only about 25 days left for this school year. Can't wait.