My Teaching Life…
Teaching for 20 years has been such a blessing. I have loved most of it – minus the meetings, crazy amounts of paperwork. Teaching comes with it’s own list of challenges, but the reward is often worth it in the end!
In Colorado I worked as a 6th grade teacher, in an elementary school setting. I taught everything but science, I had an awesome teammate who did that while I taught our kiddos social studies. I worked closely with students to gain independence and self-efficacy as well as drilling into them to always, always do their best! My teammate and I ran a tight ship and prepared our students for the big jump to Middle School. It always made me smile when kids would visit and say how “easy” Middle School was, and I would reply, you are welcome! While in Colorado, I earned my Master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in Literacy. My passion has always been to teach kids to love reading!
When I moved to Texas, I was first hired on to teach 4th graders Math, Science and Social Studies. It was a HUGE jump, but I had an amazing group of students that first year. Even as a well-seasoned teacher (I taught in Colorado for 13 years!), that first year in Texas felt like I was bran-new all over again! My second year, I moved up to 5th grade, still teaching Math and Science for one year until a Reading/Writing/Social Studies position opened up for me. I was thrilled to finally be teaching what I was most comfortable doing! Don’t get me wrong, a good teacher can truly teach anything!
After teaching in Texas for 7 years, I have found myself as a first time mom and have made the decision to stay-at-home while I can with my little one. I do plan on returning when he is older, but for now, I’m very content being “just a mom.” A big part of me will always be as a teacher, even now, as my little naps, I am thinking of what book to read next to stay caught up in the world of teaching!