Thus Begins Another School Year

This year marks my tenth year as a teacher. My career tracks looks like this: 3/4 of a year as a part-time 1st grade reading & math teacher (which did not count toward my official "years of service"); six years as a fifth grade teacher-mostly of Language Arts and Social Studies; and three years as an Elementary General Music teacher. Now as I begin my tenth year, I'm moving out of the music class and back down the hall to fifth grade. While I loved teaching music and sharing that particular joy with my students, I felt very isolated from my colleagues and from knowing any group of students really well. The impression that most general education teachers have of specialists is that they have easy jobs. What I've learned in switching from general education to a specialist role is that you don't really know what someone's job is until you have to do it. As I finish my Masters and move toward educational administration, I hope I can remember what I've learned from being in both roles....of course, I don't really know what's it like to be an administrator and won't know until I'm in that role.

(here's a new plant for my room)
So- I've been plurk-whining a lot in recent weeks about not wanting to go back to school. For those of you who know me only in print, I want to explain just a bit. First of all - I love my school and my community. I actually had a hand in the campaign to build the school, so I have a huge emotional investment in it and in its success. Secondly, I have very high standards for myself and my students and their all-round success. Moving back to fifth grade is kind of like going home for me, except home has changed a little. Some of the neighbors are a little crankier than they need to be, some of my furnishings have have been pillaged, and some of my materials do not exist yet. Therefore, I'm naturally a little apprehensive about the beginning of the year - not really dreading it as my plurk-whines suggest. And the final curve ball - I'm starting the year with a substitute instead of my teaching partner. Teaching Partner just had a brain tumor removed and at the very best, will be out until mid-September....leading to further apprehension for him and our teaching team! Experience tells me, however, that once the students get there, I'll be fine - doing what I love to do - getting to know my students and helping them to learn & grow!

(here are some of the old plants waiting for a ride back)
In the mean time, I'll work on some of my Ravalympics projects. Here's a sleeve of a sweater that's been zzz for years. This won't take long to finish. I'm pretty excited about getting some of my old, lingering projects done! Here's hoping that every little thing goes well!