Well, here it is the start to my 15th summer off of teaching school. Everybody always said, June, July and August are the best reasons to become a teacher. I don't really believe that. There are soooo many great reasons to become a teacher. One of which is seeing the accomplishments of your students at the end of 10 months of your slaving away. You can look at kids reading who didn't know how to read beforehand and say to yourself, "I did that!". And it is absolutely true.
You can look at chicken scratch scribbling from September and look at full and entertaining paragraphs printed with precision in June and say to yourself, "I did that too!" and it really rocks. It is THE most fulfilling part of teaching for me. But there are many more reasons why I teach. I love the little love notes I get periodically from little 6 and 7 year olds. Some of them are so precious to me I've kept them in a box for years. I bring them out when I've had a particularly hectic day. And somehow, reading them makes it all better. Kinda like old birthday cards from your own children make the bad melt away and the good rise to the surface.
I love decorating my classroom and introducing new science units on frogs, volcanos, space, you name it, I love teaching it and learning more about it. I love doing art projects like stained glass window butterflies with karo syrup and solar systems out of air dry clay and scented markers. And I really love singing with my class on my autoharp with percussion instruments and doing the end of the year musicals. Oh, yeah, teaching rocks my world. But just like football season, there needs to be a time of rest and rejuvenation.
I'd like to help new teachers with their questions and qualms about entering the new world of teacher education. I have a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and 2 year Endorsements in Reading, ESL, Gifted and Talented Education and soon to start a Math Endorsement. I minored in music and have created and sold my paintings and art for years. I've presented at State and National conferences in Differentiation in the Classroom. I've been a School District Science Trainer. I love being an elementary teacher because you get to play in all the elements, science, math, writing, art, p.e. and music, not to mention all the language arts.
But alas, now I'm going to focus on remodeling den and basement, adding a stacked rock wall fireplace and handmade mantle. I'm redoing one bathroom, painting and carpeting several rooms in the house and getting back on my exercise program, biking 3-4 miles a day. And hopefully I can stop baking cookies and cakes all the time so I can lose a few pounds! I'm welcoming a new grandbaby in 2 weeks to my oldest son and his wife, (their first!) and a wedding for my youngest son in about 2 months in St. Louis. Hopefully we can enjoy a few quickie vacations in between! Have you ever heard of Tuacahn in St. George, Utah? It's a wonderful outdoor theatre showing broadway musicals (Tarzan the Musical) in the desert against the red rocks. Very cool! Well, really hot actually, but awesome entertainment value! We have to bring our doggie on the adventure and rent a hotel with a pool and visit the outlet mall of course. So here's to a grand summer vacation!
