Stick a fork in me - I'm done

Notice how the ticker on the left is now on zero all the way across? That's because I freaking graduated!

My brain still hasn't wrapped itself around that particular reality yet, and I feel like it won't truly hit me until I start my job in January. Even while I was walking across the stage at graduation on Monday, wearing the cap and gown, shaking the dean's hand, and listening to them call out my name, I was still in a disbelieving fog.

I know I did the work. I know I attended each class and internship day. Still, I have been working toward this goal for so long (since 2005!) that the idea of being done is entirely too big for my brain to be able to unpack right now.

My grandparents and all of my immediate family were able to come to the ceremony hosted my the College of Education on Monday, which was awesome. This was a personal goal and an accomplishment I worked toward for myself, but knowing that the people I love were able to share in my achievement made the day so much more special.

We celebrated in many ways. Sunday we had a very small, low-key graduation party with just family at my parents' house. Then, on Monday I met up with some friends from my cohort before the ceremony at a bar near campus to hang out and revel in our achievement. Even though I don't drink, it was fun to see everyone and experience the collective excitement together before our big moment. After the ceremony the family went out to dinner together and I had some amazing cheesecake to celebrate a job well done..

Now that the celebratory dust has settled and I'm just hanging out at my house while Steve is at work, my mind spends a good deal of time thinking about my grandma Nora (the person who inspired me to become a teacher) and what she might say to me if she were here to see me graduate in person. I imagine she would be proud. Not just because I accomplished a goal I set for myself, but because I didn't give up on that goal even after so much changed in my life and it would have been easier to give up than to push through.

I'm so excited to begin teaching in January and to finally be able to say I am living the life I have imagined. Now that I have realized this one, I get to move confidently in the direction of a new dream. :)

I actually got a job

Thanksgiving break is upon us and very soon after the break ends it will be the end of the semester. It's a bit bittersweet since I've grown so attached to these children over the course of this fall semester. I'm going to miss them. It is sweet though to know that I am so close to achieving a huge personal goal. I have been working toward this particular goal for several years (since 2005) and I had to overcome a lot of personal demons along the way. There will be much rejoicing when everything is officially over.

One issue has made this semester particularly stressful. Of course I wanted to finish this journey strong and not slack off, but I was terrified that I would not find a job. We definitely do not have the finances to support another period of unemployment for me.

I said a lot of prayers this semester asking for help finding a job. As if in direct response, last week I received an invitation for an interview and by Friday I was the proud recipient of a job offer.

This job seems like it will be a great opportunity for me. I will be teaching hands-on science enrichment classes to students from Kindergarten to 5th grade. I will be working in schools all over Fulton and Gwinnett. This means I will get the opportunity to see a variety of schools, meet a large sampling of teachers and administrators, and teach in a wide variety of school settings.

It may not seem like a big deal to some, but seeing these different schools, and these teachers and administrators getting to see me teach, will likely help me a great deal when I am looking for a full time teaching job in the fall. It will be an excellent way to maintain my classroom management skills and build up my hands-on learning ideas.

I'm so grateful for this job and everything it means for Steve and I this spring. Not only is it a financial relief, it's a huge weight off both of our shoulders and is already lessening Steve's anxiety.

job hunting is awkward

Hey I'm graduating in December, and this is crazy..... but here's my resume... so, hire me.... maybe.

Not gonna lie, that's kind of how I feel when I send out my resume these days. Each job posting I see for teaching gets me all giddy and excited about the possibility of actually being hired and having a grown-up job. Not only that, but to have a grown-up job in the field I love. That's not something everyone gets a chance to do.

It's also more than slightly nerve wracking since I know nothing is guaranteed. It is job hunting after all.

I never thought about all the various options available to me in education until I began my job search in earnest in the last week or so. Of course I want to teach, but there are various grade levels, there are public and private organizations, groups that specialize in specific content, groups that focus on specific learning disabilities....  the list goes on and on.

Not all of these places have job openings, but those that do are looking for passionate people with the degree to back them up.

I just happen to be one of those passionate, degree-backed people. Here's hoping for the best!

it's about that time, folks

So.... I kind of abandoned this little blog of mine this semester. It wasn't intentional. I've been very busy doing teacher stuff and trying to finish my college career strong. It's not been easy.

There have been other things going on as well. Scary heath things I would rather not go into right now.... but yeah. It's been intense.

On a positive note, I have two weeks until Thanksgiving break (which is a whole week of absolutely nothing except holiday decorating, eating good food, and visiting family.... oh yeah, and a pesky doctor's appointment and little outpatient procedure, but whatever) and then just shy of two weeks after that until I am DONE.

Not done for the semester, not done for the school year. No sir, I will finally be finished with my undergraduate degree. I'll be the proud, slightly worn out, recipient of a shiny new diploma and Bachelor's of Science degree.

Yes, I will have spent nearly 8 years working for a big fat B.S.

I'll let you insert your own jokes related to that sentence. :)

I have already picked up my cap and gown, my honors cord (SUMMA cum laude, woot woot!), and spent the morning addressing graduation announcements.

It's weird knowing that I am graduating when I spend the entire week (and who are we kidding, a large part of my weekend) either in the elementary school teaching or working on lesson plans. I already feel like a teacher. I'm just missing the certification and the pay check.

Speaking of pay checks, I am applying to as many jobs as possible right now. I seriously NEED a job as soon as I graduate. So, if you know anyone.... seriously...help a girl out. Just sayin'... summa cum laude over here... lots of great references.... super fun lessons.

it's that time of year

No, I'm not referring to fall. Although I am happy about the beautiful weather and fall festivities, I am talking about the time of the year when my body starts attacking itself from stress.

Not kidding... not even a little bit.

I'm thoroughly enjoying my time at school teaching and I am having a lot of fun coming up with lesson ideas. The kids in my class are sweet and they are making great progress. However, there is a lot on my plate.

Between the lessons I'm planning, the two huge projects I'm navigating my way through, and keeping up with discipline/assessment/ESOL paperwork, I'm feeling a bit run down.

Thankfully I have an awesome cooperating teacher and a very supportive grade level who all do so much to help me out. I also have a supervisor who not only is an excellent resource, she also seems to know how hard it is to be in my position. Sometimes just that little bit of understanding is all I really need.

I have passed both of my observations so far with flying colors and I am all set to begin role reversal in a little over a week. I know it will go well, but I'm saying a lot of prayers anyway. I would appreciate any extra ones y'all might want to offer up. :)

what a first week.

I just finished my opening school experience yesterday and my head is swimming. My students are sweet and challenging and I'm completely loving each of them in their own way. I'm finding that planning and implementing 5 days of instruction in a row is a challenge when you have such diverse learning needs to meet. Not that I thought this would be a cake walk , but there are about a million factors I never thought of when thinking about what student teaching would be like.

I also didn't realize the impact student teaching would have on my poor feet! My body is pretty much pissed at me right now. Although I did buy new shoes that look like they belong to an old lady just for the cushioning and support they offer. 

I'm learning so much already about how to be a great teacher. I've gotten some materials together that will help me in my own classroom one day and lots of helpful advice from the other teachers on my grade level. 

One thing that is not a surprise is the joy I find in facilitating literacy. My classes on emerging literacy and language development fascinated me, but watching it occur with actual students within a classroom is amazing. I was never really interested in getting an advanced degree before, but now I am almost positive I will be pursuing a masters degree in a few years once I have been a classroom teacher for a bit. I researched some programs yesterday and I am really excited about the quality of degree programs near me. One that has particularly caught my eye is the Masters of Education in Reading with an emphasis on emergent literacy.

I know what I'll be saving my pennies for!

It's almost time!

Tomorrow is the first day of pre-planning and I am really really ridiculously excited about going back to school. I know I've mentioned that this semester I will be in the classroom Monday through Friday and building up to two weeks of full time instruction. It's kind of a big deal. The biggest deal, really. It's the very thing I have been simultaneously looking forward to and running from since 7th grade.

When class assignments first came out I was excited to see that I would be working with 4th graders. You even got a sneak peek at my budding library. I hadn't received my room assignment or teacher yet, but I ws looking forward to it just the same. However, I'm no longer looking forward to student teaching in 4th grade.... because I will actually be student teaching in 1st grade!

That's right, I was moved to 1st grade within the same school. As much as I was looking forward to trying out my teaching style with the older kids, I am thrilled to get the chance to work with the little ones again. I have a TON of ideas for lessons and classroom management. It's going to be amazing.

Over the last week I have felt a lot of those old fears coming on. It's hard to shake those feelings when you let them rule you for so long and they tend to come up at the exact moment you would be the most vulnerable.I won't even go into specifics about how I was feeling because it's the same "I'm not worthy" crap it's always been. Thankfully, I was better prepared this time. I thought of the wonderful things my former cooperating teachers have had to say, all of the high marks I have earned in my classes, the teaching and management techniques I introduced that are still being utilized, and the biggest positive motivator of all.... I think of that gut feeling I got while spending the day with those kiddos in Mexico. 

No matter how terrified I get, I can always come back to that feeling and those memories to remind myself that I was made for this. Teaching is exactly what I was meant to do with my life and I can't wait to actually get in the classroom and be who I am supposed to be!