Ten years ago I graduated from college with a degree in Elementary Education from the best university ever. I was the first in my family to graduate and the four years I spent in college were some of the best times of my young life. It was a hard adjustment after I left and my first teaching job led me to the fact that I had no idea what I was doing being a teacher.
I started the job a month after school had begun. It was a very unruly class that had alot of substitutes before I had taken the job. No structure, routine or rules applied to them. I was in way over my head. Thankfully I had a wonderful principal who took me under her wing and taught me so many things. There were hard lessons that put me in very uncomfortable situations and instead of running away defeated she gave me the tools I needed to succeed. I learned more about teaching in that one school year than I did the four I was in college.
Teaching was hard work, but I was very satisfied at the end of the beaten down year. I had found a profession that I was meant to be in. It also took me into a new path. I am slowly working on my masters in School Administration. My principal had such a huge impact on my life that I chose to continue my education and I will eventually go back into the public school system as a principal.
I received an invitation to a high school graduation this week from a student I had in fifth grade. I remember her well and was pleased to hear from her and see her dreams coming true. By the time she was in my fifth grade class I had had two years under my belt and was more confident in my teaching abilities. Her group was a sassy one, but nothing compared to that first year. The pictures above are her and some others in that class. This year solidified the fact that I loved teaching the older kids and the arrogance of their youth.
I continued teaching until my second son was born. It was a very hard decision to stay at home and I had no idea where it would leave me. Teaching gave me alot of recognition and admiration that parenting does not bring on a daily basis. I am confident I made the right decision to be here for the boys. My priorities shifted and I had to work hard on being made humble with the gifts God had given me. One day the boys will bring me their high school graduation card and when I look back I want to know that I did the best I could with each day they were with me. This is my daily prayer.
6 comments:
Ok I am pretty sure we went to college together!
This is so inspiring, thank you!
I agree with your prayer. There are somedays where I really miss teaching because that is what I am really good at doing. I feel that God has given me a great gift of teaching children. I often remind myself that he has given me a better gift in my children and being able to stay at home with them. I know that we (as mothers) will see our reward of all of our hard work as our babies grow up:)
You actually brought tears to my eyes. I'm pregnant though, everything makes me cry. I need to post the picture of us together at graduation. 10 years. I hadn't even thought of it. Time flies!
It is hard being a stay at home mom. I miss teaching a lot. I live through my friend Cindy and "help" her with idea for her classroom and different things to teach. But we are doing the most important teaching job of our lives. And I know we'll never look back and wish we would have been teaching in a classroom. We'll both go back some day and then wish we were at home with our babies. They'll be so big then! That time will be here before we can even blink.
As I have told you often, Jenny, I have never had an older person tell me they wished they would have worked more or went back to work when the children were still at home. Just the opposite, the regrets of not being home more. I don't regret doing without to stay home with you guys; hope I don't regret working now and missing out on the grandkids so often! Thanks you guys for blogging. It helps me enjoy things I would have normally missed. Joe and I have enjoyed having a little more money to do things.
Love, Mom
Okay so the last line in your blog brought tears to my eyes. I think you for sharing your TRUE feelings with us all. Just last night I gave my personal prayer request in my Life group that I have more of a child's heart; that I'm able to rejoice in the little moments and not over look them. Sometimes with my day to day color coded calendar the "big picture" is missed. Thank you for bringing it to reality--when you reminded me that one day MY children will be bringing me their high school graduation card--it opened my heart to just be thankful for what God has given me--right now--in this exact moment. I'm doing just what HE wants me to be doing--teaching/raising my kids! THANKS! :)
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