Coming to a Close

I have three more days of my internship for the fall semester at Spring Valley and then I'm home free. Not going to lie, I'm thrilled about the fact that I won't have to leave my house at 7am for 6 weeks but I'm going to miss my students like crazy.  I spend 32 hours a week with them so going from that to not seeing them at all is going to be so strange.  I have found appreciation for many things because of them this year.  I appreciate homemade homework assignments addressed to "Miss Chambers," I can now throw a football correctly, Hannah Montana is a rockstar along with the Jonas Brothers, cooties still exist and the "cootie shot" is still given...the list goes on.

 I absolutely love them.  I feel like saying "love" doesn't even begin to describe how much I care about them.  I have really developed in the type of educator that I inspire to be over these last few months.  I've learned to be stern when needed but also show my students that I love each and every one of them.  Each of them is so incredible.  So so incredible.  I love their habits, their isms, the things that they find absolutely hilarious, their questions that make me laugh hard.  They are so wonderful.  I wish you (people who still read this) could meet them.  They would make you smile.

Today, one of my kids came up to me during our Math test.  He started coughing and sneezing at the same time while trying to ask a question and I found it to be hilarious so I burst out laughing during the test.  Real mature, I know but if you knew Cory just his stance and his humor and personality cracks me up.  I interrupted my students' concentration but o well.  I told them "I'm sorry but I think I have lost my mind over the course of this semester." And they asked if they could lose their mind too. :)

Today was Abby's birthday.  Matthew Sumrall wrote her a love letter and song.  Pretty cute if you ask me.  She was totally embarrassed and he has no idea that 99.9% of the fourth grade knows about it.  Tomorrow should be fun.

O yea, I'm going to InterSpace Caverns tomorrow on a field trip with my kids.  It's an hour and a half cave tour.  Bus ride will be long but worth it.  Good stories should be coming in tomorrow. Hopefully no bats will attack me while I am in there with them.

There's Nothing Fancy

I just got home from eating dinner at Baris for Molly's birthday.  It was so nice to see people that I don't see during the week and catch up with them.  The topic of subject over dinner was post-graduation plans.   The majority of the friends at the table have a handful of options, sometimes them ending with "eventually" (eventually I will go to grad school, eventually I will find a job I love, etc.).

But with me, it's different.  I'm bursting from the inside out when the question of post-graduation is posed on me because I love telling what my heart is saying and it tells me that I am called to be a teacher.  An educator.  A selfless career whose greatest award is when my past students come and visit my classroom to tell me what dreams they are following when they began listening to their hearts. 

I couldn't have picked a better fitting career for myself for so many reasons.  I love children.  Absolutely love them. I love their topics of interest, their innocent questions, their simplistic views on life,  their uncontrollable laughter when you least expect it and their genuine love.  Today, I had my 2nd formal evaluation from Ms. Cox.  She expressed in my write up how I have developed such a strong relationship with my students.  She told me how neat it was that I could tell her little details about each of my students even when I have 80 of them.  In turn, the relationship is recripricol.  I have a folder filled with letters from my students that I find tucked within my papers that they hide for me to find when I get home at the end of the day.  Bliss. Absolute Bliss.

One of my students has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.  It's a mild form of audism where you struggle with social interaction, lack empathy for others and might get aggregated easily in simple situations.  My student never smiles.  He always looks mad at the world and depressed which is horrible saying he is only nine.  Today, though, was different.  I was up in the front of the room searching for the transparency of vocabulary for the students to copy down and he came up behind me and put his arms on my back.  I stood up and asked him if he had a question for me.  He stated, "I was just trying to give you a hug, Miss Chambers." My eyes teared up and I opened up my arms for one of the greatest bear hugs that I have ever received.  Today made me realize that there is nothing fancy about teaching.  It's what I am called to do.

Gilmore Girls

It's November 11th.  In three months, I will be 22.  Pretty neat stuff.

This week is my last week of full teaching.  Today, I introduced traditional multiplication to my 4th graders.  They freaked out.  Had all of these questions of "why this and why not that" and after teaching it 4 times today, I'm exhausted.  I have learned the beauty of not having to talk.  And PTA luncheons.  And nights when there are not any papers to grade.

Last weekend, I went to Dallas.  I went to the Symphony on Friday night.  Absolutely beautiful.  The Myerson is beautiful and the fact that I got to get dressed up. Perfection.  Then Tinsley came in on Saturday and we went to Northpark.  Shopped, had dinner and hit up lower Greenville for Justin's birthday.  It was fun.  AND I did NOT get lost on the way home! It was such a weird situation.  I have my dad on speed dial for a reason.  To help me find where I am in Dallas.  

I have 9 days left of teaching for my internship this semester.  It is definitely bitter-sweet.  I absolutely adore each and every one of my kids (remember there are 80. Lots of names.  Lots of personality. Lots of ridiculousness).  But it will be great not having to leave my house at 7 in the morning and getting home around 4.  I have been stretched further than I have ever thought I would this semester.  So many unique situations have happened this year.  My eyes have really opened up to different teaching ventures once May rolls around.  I think it would be incredible to teach overseas.  Finding teaching positions is the tricky part. But I think it would be incredible.