Friday, June 15, 2012

End Of An Era


When I was 7 years old, in second grade, I had the best teacher.  She inspired me to want to be a teacher when I grew up.  After years of babysitting, working in a before and after school program and summer camps, and being a nanny for a few summers, I graduated and got a job as a kindergarten teacher.  In 2002 My dream had come true.  Through my years of working with kids from ages 3-17, I decided early childhood was where my heard was and I was now going to teach 5 year olds.

I spent only one year at my first school before being involuntary transferred. I interviewed at the job fair and went to another school where I would teach for the next nine years.  I had completed part of my student teaching at Ronald McNair Elementary and was now going to be teaching there with my mentor.  Three years later, my mentor decided to move on to another school after 16 years at McNair.  So I decided that I too needed a change and requested to move up to first grade where I would spend the next six years. 

Over the course of those six years, the first grade team changed a few times.  We acquired teachers new to our school and teachers that moved down to first grade from other grade levels.  A new special education teacher came on board and I was so lucky to get to work with her for two years.  Our students made such great gains and it was because of her and our collaboration with each other and our paraeducators.

In April of this year I had my second child, a little sister for our big boy.  Another dream of mine was about to come true.  Not only had I always aspired to be a teacher, but also a mom.  Now, I was already a mom, but I wanted nothing more than to stay home with my kids.  And now that dream has become a reality.  Today, I packed up my classroom at McNair, which has been my home away from home for 10 months out of the year for the past nine years.

Goodbye McNair and all of my coworkers and former students.  You have been such a big part of my life.  But it’s time to say goodbye and to move on to the next chapter: SAHM.
My empty room.
My reasons for leaving.

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