However, ever since I began teaching I knew that at some point I wanted to come out of the classroom but I didn't know what I would do. For at least the past four years, I have been praying for something other than a regular classroom position for many reasons that I can't go into on this post. Teaching can be a wonderful job and you have a chance to make a difference in so many children's lives; however it's a very demanding and stressful job. My daily schedule for the past 8 years has been this: Get to school at 7:00 am, stay at school until 4:30-5:00pm. Come home, then continue to do school work for another 2-3 hours during the week and spend most of my weekend working too; grading papers and working on lesson plans for the following week. And the past two years, with Madalyn, I couldn't continue to work until after she went to bed. Well, by that time I was ready to go to bed too. My job didn't end at 2:45 when the kids left, it was almost 24/7. You may think that's an exaggeration, and probably at times it is, but that's what it felt like many days. On top of that, I have the job of being a wife and a mom. Those are two demanding and stressful; yet rewarding jobs also. You know the saying "you don't know what someone else's life is like until you have walked a mile in their shoes". If you are an elementary school teacher, or you were one, then you know exactly what I am talking about. If you know an elementary teacher, just ask, they will be more than happy to share with you what a "day in the life of a teacher is like". I know there are plenty of jobs that are just as time consuming, especially if you own your own business. Kevin's job really is 24/7; he can never escape it. It's hard. For me, I have always put my job before my family, mostly, because it demanded it. But then I would give to my family a hundred percent too, and then have nothing left or the energy left for myself. So, I've been praying for the last four years, especially the last two, that I could find something (and it didn't have to be teaching) to where I could go to work at the time I was suppose to...leave work at the time I was suppose to...and not bring home any work.
WELL............... God has finally answered my prayer! I know it's in His right time, not mine, because if it was my time it would have happened at least three years ago. I know that God always gives us what we need at the right time we need it; however, at times I was not very patient waiting on His timing. I felt the nudge from God, I guess you should say when I found out this summer during the week long training I did that we were going to have a computer lab teacher. We haven't had one for the past three years at the school due to budget issues. After Kevin and I got back from Florida, I emailed the principal and asked her if they had hired someone for that position yet and they hadn't. So we started talking and a week later, I signed a new contract saying I would be the computer lab teacher. I am excited about my new position and a bit nervous, it will be something completely new to me. But after eight years (even though I have taught two different grades during that time), it was time for a change. This new job brings what I wanted: I don't have to do weekly lesson plans, I don't give out grades, so no grading papers, no making copies or other paper work, no parent/teacher conferences, and best of all I get to leave at 2:45 and have my afternoons, evenings, and weekends school free! YEA! And I still get my holidays off plus my summer. So what will I be doing now? Teaching K-4 through 5th graders, how to type and basic computer skills. I will have five to six classes a day for an hour each, once a week. Except for the classes that I have on Monday I will also have on Friday for the first nine weeks, then it will change each nine weeks. We only have four activity teachers, so we get some classes twice a week instead of once.
Even though I know this is the move that God wanted me to make for myself and my family, it was still a leap of faith for various reasons, which I won't go into detail right now. Please pray for me this year as I embark on a new adventure. Here are some pictures of my new classroom. Thank you so much to everyone who played a part in this classroom coming together for a new school year! :0)
The inspiration for my classroom came from this piece of stripped fabric.
Which was a part of this wreath that Kevin's cousin Brantley made for me. (She was selling wreaths to raise money to go back to Uganda on a mission trip this fall. If you are interested in wreath or Brantley's story, you can visit her blog to find out more: http://forthisjourneywereon.com/ )
I found this border at The School Spot when I was in Greenville back in July. I thought the red paper would really make it "pop".
The computer lab was remodeled this summer and so I wanted some tennis balls for the chairs. I didn't want the kids to mess up the floor and after while that scrapping sound gets old. :0)
So my parents got a tennis club to donate like close to 300 tennis balls. I only needed 94, so I passed along to other teacher what I didn't need. Kevin cut all the balls to fit the chairs.
My area, at the front of the class
My mom made my curtains and my dad met Mrs. Katie and Mr. Tim when they were in Greenville this weekend to pass them along to me. They are made from the same striped fabric that's in the wreath.
Student area
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