7 Weeks

So the picture is a day late but I was so worn out yesterday that I didn’t think to take one.  I started with my kids today and I forgot how helpless they are at the beginning of the year!  We will be working a lot on routines and procedures.  I have a few stinkers but hopefully they will calm down and settle in soon!

Now These Are Some Good Pictures!

I am making a poster for my class because I will be doing Star of the Week with the kids. I am going to be the first star as a way to introduce myself to them. I asked my parents to scan and email me some pictures of me as a baby and one from kindergarten. Couldn’t let them go unseen by my friends!

Me at an Easter Egg Hunt when I was about a year and half

I think I was hiding a week’s worth of food in those cheeks! No wonder my mama was always pinching them.

My school picture from Kindergarten

Now take a good look at the kindergarten picture. Does that sweet face look like a trouble maker? Well that angelic little girl kept her kindergarten class from meeting President Reagan! How awful is that?

President Reagan visited our school when he was touring Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. The teachers made such a big deal about it that I got all excited and worked up. Which resulted in me convincing the other girls to run around and kiss all the boys! This caused the boys to freak out and a mini riot ensued. So no President Reagan for us!

Looking back I’m surprised our teachers stood that firm with us. I probably would have had a Come to Jesus talk and then taken the class. Afterwards I would have thought of something boring and no fun as a punishment for losing their minds. No way would I have missed meeting President Reagan! My teachers must have been Democrats!

Getting Ready

I started my new job yesterday bright and early at 8:15.  Since I only got about 4 to 5 hours of sleep I am amazed I made it out of bed!  God gave me the fortitude to make it through the day.  I was introduced to the staff at 8:30 and promptly received comments about my southern accent.  Then I proceeded to get lost on the way back to my room.  The building is shaped like a big C with the office on one end and the kindergarten classrooms on the other.  I think I will be getting plenty of exercise!

My room was the science lab/teacher’s lounge so it is in desperate need of some redecoration.  I spent all day yesterday going through the stuff that was in there and pulling out my crap.  Joseph showed up about 1:30 with lunch, good thing since I was starving!  I was almost in freak out mode because I was originally supposed to get kids on Monday morning.  Then we had a meeting with the principal and apparently HR is being slow and my paperwork hadn’t been processed yet.  So the start day for the kids was pushed back until Wednesday.  Thank goodness!  I will have time to get the room finished and get everything signed and squared away with HR.  Gotta love paperwork!

I also got my class list and I only have 14 kids, can you believe that?  I think the other teachers have 15 each.  Very nice!  I was hoping the teachers would have lesson plans written up for the first few weeks so I would get a feel for how they do things.  Well no such luck!  Looks like I am going to have to be very resourceful and fly by the seat of my pants until I have time to really plan.  Which is fine but I was just hoping they would be more cohesive and organized as a group.   Joseph and I ended up working on my room until 6pm before my body gave out and refused to do anymore.

Now I am just taking it easy today before I go run some errands later this afternoon.  Gotta spend the $100 the PTO gave me, sweet!  Too bad all of it will be for my room.  Then I’m going to spend my birthday gift card from Rachel and Aaron to get a few things to wear before I bust out the maternity clothes.  I hoping to keep my pregnancy under wraps until the 2nd trimester.  Really hoping my symptoms don’t get worse and I start puking all day!

Faith Makes Things Possible … Not Easy!

I was going to wait until the weekend to write this post but I can’t sleep right now. Got up to pee (at least once a night!) and couldn’t go back to sleep. So I figured, why not?

The past two years have been an exercise in Faith and learning to follow God’s will. It’s hard but so worth it! My teaching job last year was an absolute nightmare. My kids were great but everything else was awful. Through the trials God taught me A LOT about myself and the type of person He wants me to be. My position was cut at the end of the year so I have been looking for a job all summer.

I would love to know where the teacher shortage is because it sure isn’t in STL! I went on a few interviews but nothing worked out. My ego definitely took a beating. I applied to teach preschool and got that job. After having nightmares about it and making myself sick the first day I realized that it was not the place for me. The security of a paycheck and insurance was not enough to put myself through hell again.

So I kept looking for a job. School was getting close to starting so I expanded my search to include Teacher Assistant positions. I didn’t love the idea but it would mean insurance which is good when you are having a baby. Wednesday I called a district about a TA position. About 9 am on Thursday morning HR called me back and said that my application would be put in consideration for the TA positions. Two minutes after we hung up they called back! The lady asked what I was certified in and informed me that a school had gone over numbers and a kindergarten position was open. In MO I am certified to teach children from Birth to 6th grade so I said “yes please, I am interested!”

At 12:30 on Thursday I had my District interview. At 1:30 I had an interview with the Principal. At 5:30 I had an interview with the other Kindergarten teachers and the Principal. At 6:03 I had a job! They called me and asked me to turn around so they could show me my classroom. The other teachers seem really great and I think it is going to be a good fit for me. School actually started on Thursday so in about 4 hours I will be getting my room ready. I get kids on Monday!

God has taught me a great deal about humility. Last year I never would have considered a TA position. My how things change! If I hadn’t inquired about the TA positions the district never would have considered me for the Teacher position.

I’ve made it clear that moving to MO was not my idea of a good time and I really struggled last year. I finally got over myself and handed it over to God. I knew He wanted us to be here and for Joseph to go to Logan. We know that without a shadow of a doubt. So I knew that He wouldn’t want me to be miserable and that He would provide for us. God is in control of ALL THINGS! Without the lessons of the past year this job never would opened for me. There were times that I was confused and scared and stressed but I ultimately knew that God would take care of us. Without His comfort and love in my heart I never would have been able to make it through these past two years. He has blessed us beyond measure and words can’t even begin to express how we feel. I do know it awakens a desire to live a Godly life and be an example of His love to those around us. Faith is an amazing thing and I pray all of y’all come to know Him.

Big Exhale!

So what we have been praying about?  God truly blessed us today!  More details this weekend when I have time.  I won’t leave y’all totally hanging though….  I got a job!  I start teaching Kindergarten tomorrow!