It's been so long I couldn't remember my Blogger password

Did you know that I check your blogs everyday for updates, LOVE reading about you and seeing your pictures and feel guilty that I don't take time to do the same? Well I do.

This has been a tough year (I think I say that every year, but this time I mean it). The situation I walked into at school was difficult for lots of reasons.

*I just spent 20 minutes listing those reasons for you. Then I decided I was being a whiner and the reasons my year was so hard don't actually matter anymore in light of the fact that there are 5 days of school left so I deleted them all. Instead I'm embracing what I'm grateful for out of the situation:

1. I got a job. In a school.
2. After much drama, difficulty, hard work, tears, stress, weight loss, sleepless nights, etc. I am almost done. And have been offered a job in a higher grade next year.
3. Because of statewide budget cuts MISD is not hiring new staff next year so if I had not gotten in the district this year I would not have had another chance.
4. I have learned alot about the kind of teacher I can be when overwhelmed and stressed, and I'm ready to make some changes in the way I opperate to become a more calm, centered, organized, and kind teacher.

I vacilate between being excited and terrified about next year. I've had 4 "first years" of teaching (OKC - 2nd grade, Tulsa - Reading Specialist, Calgary - Special Ed, Midland - Kinder), next year will (hopefully) be back in 2nd grade so I'm at least familiar with that age group. My resume is bizarre and random and I am actually very grateful to be able to have a second year at a school. I've never not been the "freshman" teacher!

So that's where I am. 5 days to go! Then I'm going to go to the pool, watch daytime tv, eat bon bons and put my feet up!

H.A.G.S y'all.