After a Decade

A decade of teaching. A. DECADE. 

Here is what a decade looks like for me:

3 states. 4 districts. 6 schools. 8 classrooms. 13 administrators. 333 students. 1800+ days teaching.

Year 1: cross category special education grades k and 4

Year 2: self contained emotional disabilities grades 3-5

Year 3 and 4: General Education Second Grade

Year 5: General Education Fifth Grade

Year 6: General Education Third Grade

Year 7: General Education First Grade

Year 8: General Education Fourth Grade

Year 9: General Education Fifth Grade 

Year 10: Sixth Grade Math Teacher

Here is what I know about teaching after 10 years. It's hard. For those in the back...IT'S HARD. And I don't mean the standard duh it's hard it's your job hard. I mean really hard. Heart wrenching, bone tired, belly aching, beyond exhausted HARD. And sure I could have gone into a different career path, one where I felt more appreciated by society, where I could leave at 4:30pm and not have to bring hours of work home to do from my couch while my dog looks at me wishing we could go for a walk. A profession where I get bonuses for doing well and overtime pay for working more than expected. Instead I CHOSE to be a teacher. And I honestly question it every year and when I ask myself 

"if you leave teaching, what would you do?"

The very loud answer back is

"I have no idea, I can't picture myself anywhere but in a classroom." 

Which if I'm being honest is a not all that helpful when you're feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. 

But none the less I CHOSE to be a teacher. I choose to be a teacher every day and I'll keep choosing to be a teacher.

After 10 years of teaching I've learned that I am not going to please every administrator, every parent or every child. And that doesn't define me anymore than state tests define my kids. I've learned that the kids that need the most love ask for it in the most unloving way. I've learned that while my kids have parents and families that love and care for them, I do too. I have learned that I would do just about anything for my kids; whether they sat in my classroom 10 years ago or this year or even if they never have and they were in the teacher's class across the hall.

I've learned after 10 years of teaching I love teaching. It's etched into my soul. 

Up Next, Year 11: Seventh Grade Math

I would love to get better at Blogging. I seriously dream about blog posts sometimes and yet they never actually make it to fruition. Will definitely need to work on that.