Another year ends and a new one approaches (okay so I still have almost two months of summer).

So this school year came to a weird end. The last couple weeks of school we had a bad stomach virus go through our school and there was one day we had only about 1/3 of the students and even less of the teachers (I was one of those absent that day). Then four days before school ended we had an issue with the water pump and the students ended up having no school one day. The teachers had to be there which was amusing as all I could thinking about when driving in that day was how I had to drive somewhere to get to the bathroom. The good news was that after only about 2 hours the water was back to working (temporarily as the fix needed to be completed during the summer). 

The last day of school my students had "fancy" day and we all dressed up some and ate in our classroom with table clothes and flowers on the tables. It was fun and I think the kids really liked it. Perhaps fancy day on the last day of school will have to be a transition. I also realized that I need to find a new meaningful book to read on the last day. For years I have read, "Oh the places you'll go", but I realized it's not something the kids really understand as there are too many weird words and big ideas that they just aren't ready for. So now I am on the hunt for a book that tell my kids how awesome I think they are and that I will miss them. Let me know if you know of one. 

Next year I will be teaching a new grade (yes again) one that I have never taught before. I will be teaching first grade. Although I would have loved to stay in second the numbers just weren't there for me to stay so to first grade I will go. I am also moving classrooms (YES AGAIN, LOL) and today my summer friend Claire (my friend's daughter who I am hanging out with this summer) and I went to my new classroom and starting making it look nice. I still have a lot to do, but I got the basic layout figure out today. I have plans for some different types of seating next year in hope of allowing kids so freedom to pick a seat that will work for them. 

This year I have battled feeling like I wasn't a great teacher as things were super overwhelming and to be honest I wondered if I just wasn't meant to be a teacher. What I have realized is that when I stop stressing about all the mandates, assessments, paperwork, etc I am a pretty good teacher. My goal is to focus on my strengths and the wonderful students that I get to work with and enjoy myself. Maybe someday I will become a princess, but for now I think I will enjoy being a teacher.  ~Erica