Sitting here reflecting on the school year that’s almost over, my first full year as an elementary school EC teacher and all the stress, hard work and demands that it all entailed, and I’m so thankful to have this blog.
It was never really intended to be one of those uber-popular, well-followed blogs that so many people have out now… although that may have been nice, that was not my intention in creating it. Even as far back as last summer, from the first time I set my mind on becoming a teacher and learning to educate our youth, I knew that I was embarking on a journey that would be simultaneously thrilling, wonderful and incredibly demanding, and I knew I would want to be able to look back on that journey and not miss a bit of it in the process. The only way I could think of to accomplish that was to start this blog, this readership of one, as a record of all the trials, accomplishments and joys of being a first-year teacher.
And now that I’ve made it this far by the grace, strengthening and leading of God, I’m so, so thankful that I have this blog to go back and read and reflect on. I feel like I’ve finally (finally) made it to a place in my first year where things have evened out, where I understand the day-to-day of my job, where I’ve gotten to know my kids and their capabilities and their interests and dreams, where I’m comfortable running my IEP meetings and writing new goals, and where I can look back effectively enough to make plans for how to do things better and more efficiently next year… I feel like I’ve gotten to a place where I can breathe a lot more easily now – not fully relax, mind you – because we’ve got MUCH more to do to be as prepared for the upcoming EOGs as I’d like to be, but to breathe nonetheless.
It’s a nice feeling, this time of calm. Strange, unfamiliar, but nice. Peace of mind truly is a wonderful thing. I’ve read so much on the stages that a first-year teacher goes through, and I have to say that, unlike so many other things you find on the net these days, this information was actually very, very much on point. I can vividly remember going through every single one of the stages listed in these articles, and I’m so thankful to finally arrive at rejuvenation/ reflection stage. I literally feel energized, I’m ready for each day and look forward to teaching and seeing my kids continue to blossom while they’re with me. I can’t imagine my 5th graders leaving me after graduation’s all done in June… I’m so happy for them, but Lord knows, I’ll miss every single one when they move on.
Now that things are in a good place, I think I’ll work on doing a much better job of taking good care of myself. I lost 12 pounds without even trying this school year, and while losing weight is always good news for someone who is overweight to begin with, it would be better for me if it were intentional and done as a result of my making good choices and taking better care of myself. Unfortunately, I cannot take credit for this being the case. The pounds I lost so far this year were a result of stress and my being really (really) terrible about eating regularly and resting sufficiently. There were so many days that I didn’t eat breakfast or even lunch that I literally lost count months and months ago. For too many nights, dinner would be the first and only meal I had all day, and I’d fall into bed completely exhausted and drained, only to have to get up the next day and do it all over again. So, 12 pounds down, yes, but definitely not the right way.
Here’s my goal for this go-round: 45 pounds in 9 weeks. If things stay on this nice, even pace, I can definitely do this. It’s only 5 pounds a week, which I think I can easily do once I get back to visiting the gym (which is right across the street from my house, so I have ABSOLUTELY no excuse) and to eating right. It’s so important to give your body not just fuel, but the right fuel it needs to get you through the day, and I’ve got to get back to doing what I know when it comes to caring for myself. So, I’ve officially begun the next challenge I’ve set up for myself – knock those 45 pounds out in 9 weeks. I can absolutely do this, no doubt in my mind. I’ll keep ya posted on how everything goes! J
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| Congrats, Melissa... I'm right behind ya, girl! :) |
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