A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

(Blog challenge: A picture that makes you happy)

Tomorrow is the last day of school and it is bittersweet. This day has felt like it's been a long time coming. We are one of the LAST schools in the state still in session. The kids are tired, hot, and ready to be done. The teachers are tired, hot, and ready to be done. But a part of me tears up at the thought of letting these little kiddos go. They are my first set of kids. My first team. My first group that I have been responsible for. Straight out of college I got hired as a reading teacher. I embraced the role (as any newbie does...it was a JOB!) and ended up loving it. I got specialized training, moved schools, and taught a large number of kids how to read. Who can say they've done that?! It was challenging, it made me grow as an educator, and it was fairly low stress. I was told numerous times how crazy I was when I made the decision to move to the classroom. I was sure of myself though. I needed this. As an educator, I think you need to experience the classroom.

When I embarked on this year, I wasn't sure what I was getting into. I'd been in the 1st grade rooms constantly. I knew their routines. I knew what was expected of me. I knew what my kids needed to know. What I didn't realize was just how attached I would become to these little humans. When I'm at school, I have 20 more children. I wipe noses. I bandage wounds. I break up fights. I soothe hurt egos. I build self-esteem. I never realized just how involved the classroom teacher is. I also never realized how much of a bond you build with the children selected to spend 180 days with you.

So right now, what makes me happy? Knowing that these special children grew as learners this year. They are all readers. They are all writers. They are all sponges ready to take on everything that is thrown their way. I love each and every one of them and will look fondly on my first year in the classroom. It has been a year of stress, tears, sweat, tears, smiles, tears....you get the point...and each and every moment has been worth it all.