Bittersweet Friday

Today is the last day of my first year of teaching. 

It is bittersweet – bitter because I am sad to leave my students, sweet because I SURVIVED my first year of teaching. YEACOMMON.

On the morning of August 30, 2010, I was a mess. I don’t think I had ever felt so scared/excited/nauseous/nervous/pumped, but SO READY to begin a new chapter of my life (ok, my wedding day was a bit like that). I wanted to be a teacher for as long as I could remember and my dream was finally coming true. I was scared because I knew that I was going to be in charge of 17 students. I was going to be the sole guardian of 17 tiny chickadees, little baby bears, from 8-2:45 Monday – Friday… I was going to be their first grade teacher. I never could have guessed how dependent these kids would become on me…

Some were very nervous and did not even make eye contact with me – some were outgoing and immediately began asking me questions. The students that came to 01-03 were so small – so young – and so cute. They knew the alphabet, some knew the sounds of each letter…they knew how to write their first names… and most could count to 20. They were innocent, naive, curious, so so immature.

The students leaving my classroom today are so different than the ones that entered. My 18 little bears are not babies anymore. Some are still innocent… some still naive… but they have grown. Taller, wiser, smarter, brighter. They can write their first and last names, they can count to 200, they can add and subtract, they can read chapter books, they can write stories and paragraphs… they are incredible. They have so much potential to be successful second graders and I WISH I could be their teacher again.

I don’t know how I am going to handle today when I send them off at 11:30. I might cry… hopefully I just give lots of hugs and wish them the best.

I feel so accomplished. So proud. So happy that I made it. And BLESSED … that I had 18 beautiful shining stars in my classroom this year.