Puff

Never have I said "TGIF" and meant it as sincerely as I did yesterday morning, when I sat in my bedroom floor in a towel for twenty minutes watching "The Office" at 5am and wishing I was still asleep. But I threw my hair up in a messy bun, put in some bad-ass earrings, and finished the first five days of seventy.

My first week of student teaching is complete.

And I'm surprised at how well it went. The way the student teaching experience is set up, my first week was just supposed to be observation. Over the first few weeks I'll pick up a class here and there and take on a full-load (and it's co-teaching, which means balancing the leadership role with my cooperating teacher, not so much taking full control while she plays on her phone and drinks lattes) starting day 20. But already I've taught on two separate days. On Wednesday I took over a lecture while the teacher stepped out into the hall, and I led the whole lecture for the last class period. Yesterday (Friday) I read the same section of "Beowulf" three times and led out-loud reading of "Of Plymouth Plantation" in two junior classes. I led a couple of activities for the seniors as well and passed out papers to most of the classes. In a nutshell, I've been there for five days and I've already had a day of leading activities in five of our six classes.

I've graded, sorted, filed, recorded, stapled, copied, hole-punched, and passed out papers. I've made connections with a few of the kids already! And for the first time in many years of starting new school years, I haven't been nervous. The other night I went to dinner with my pseudo-aunt, a former elementary school teacher for 30+ years, and told her that I feel like I've been doing this teaching thing forever - not because it's boring or monotonous, but simply because of how comfortable I am with it. My hands don't shake when I'm in front of a class of 30. My heart doesn't race when my cooperating teacher says, "Do you want to take over this lesson?"

This is one of the few things in my life right now that just makes sense. This is what I am supposed to do. It's a little overwhelming at times when I look at all the things I'm responsible for - no longer is the role of the teacher simply to impart wisdom and grade papers. And like any job, it has its drama, its ridiculous tasks, its "why in the world do we consider this important?" But I'm ready. I am so ready to keep going with this, even when I roll out of bed bleary-eyed and sore-footed and leave my house before the sun comes up. Because it's what I want to do - it's what I feel like I'm meant to do.

Such a good first week. So thankful for a long weekend. I get to see my sister tonight and my Linus tomorrow. And I am so, SO thankful for all of you being such an encouragement to me during this time. :)