Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end...

I've spent most of my teaching career in a middle school classroom, despite my dual certification in elementary and middle.  From Lincoln to BAICA to Derby to ICS, I've found a home within the strange structure and nuances of the middle grades.  So it not without sadness that I pack up my boxes and move them to K4.  But even as I say good-bye to my 120+ students this week, I still know it's the right choice.  I'll miss my older students. I'll miss their ability to do things on their own. I'll miss their humor.  I'll miss solving equations with them. I'll miss that they instantly know what The Look means and why they are receiving it. But, I am ready.   

I spent my morning sorting and organizing in my new classroom and beginning to envision more concretely what my coming year will look like.  It's fun and exciting to think about the joy and delight in four year olds as they discover and experience the world around them.  Even when that joy gives way to fatigue and tears, I love the honesty of kids that age. They are who they are, even when you might not want them to be :)  I love watching them learn, seeing them master new skills, and the sense of accomplishment they feel when they do that.  I love the small class, and really getting to know each student and family. I love that I get to exercise a muscle I haven't used in a number of years and put to use the full range of training I got at Hope and The Discovery Center.  

I am thankful that ICS has given me this opportunity. I'm thankful that I could change teaching positions and do something new without changing jobs.  In a field that has very few opportunities for professional growth (though the personal growth is unending), making lateral moves keeps things fresh and interesting.  And I am thankful that I have six weeks in the States to see people (and buy classroom stuff!) before the transition is official.  Two and a half more days middle school!