One year later....

It's crazy how fast a year flies. A year ago I graduated BYU, Ty was applying to medical school, and I was frantically applying for teaching jobs. Now a year later, Ty graduated BYU, was accepted to UTSW in Texas (among others) and I have finished my first year teaching 5th grade at Sage Hills Elementary. Crazy!!

Teaching was an amazing stretching experience. It is without question the hardest things I have ever done, but with hard things come amazing growth. I had amazing days with my kids, and some days that all I could do was come home and cry. Being responsible for 34 10 year olds was exhausting! I wish I was one of those teachers that could just say that they loved teaching and everything was wonderful. It was hard. Every day I was stretched to my max, planning for and meeting the needs of all my students. I think part of the reason it was so hard is because I had very high expectations for myself. Coming from BYU, all the teachers talked about the "ideal" teacher and the "ideal" classroom which I quickly came to realize just doesn't exist. However, like all of the hardest things in life, it also brought a lot of joy. Watching a child who has struggled with a concept over and over finally get it was so rewarding. Seeing my kids make good choices and be kind to each other made me feel like a proud mother. And to hear "you're the best teacher ever," and receive a heartfelt note and hug made me feel like it was all worth it.

It is hard to put into words the things I learned from this year. I think more important is who I have become. More confident, more patient, more understanding, and much more sure of my ability to face hard things head on and to conquer them. I wouldn't trade this year for anything! I look back on all the tears and stresses and the silly things I worried about and wish I had enjoyed every moment with those kids a little more. But, the forsight usually comes after, and not before.

One thing I can say for certain was that I put my whole heart into my teaching. I spent hours outside of school thinking about those kids, thinking about how they learn best, surfing the internet for ideas, and planning interactive and fun lessons. Some days I would work until 8 or 9 at night. Even though I was not a perfect teacher by any means, looking back I am glad that I did the very best I could to teach those kids and I have no regrets. And also, pinterest is a teacher's best friend. :)

Everyone says the first year of teaching is the hardest, and I definitely agree. But even from the beginning of the year I can see how much progress I have made which makes me happy. Teaching is all about progress. There is no such thing as a perfect teacher, because there is always something more you could do! So I think the key is just to be always progressing. I guess in that way, it's a lot like life!

Now that the school year is over, the future is a little more unclear. In just about 5 weeks Ty and I will be packing up all our belongings (which isn't much) and heading to Texas. I get the question, "Will you teach in Texas?" And I struggle to find an answer. If I was facing another year at Sage Hills, with my amazing team, and my same classroom, the answer would definitely be yes. The prospect of starting completely over in a new state, new school, and probably a new grade is daunting. It would pretty much be year 1 all over again. Although I didn't leave this year with a bitter and never want to teach attitude, I also am much more aware of the demands and stresses of teaching. I want to be there for Ty during this first year of medical school. The thought of a job where I could leave work at work and not come home exhausted is appealing. And there are many things I could do with my teaching degree besides teaching full time. So we will see what the future holds!