New beginning

It is completely feasible the summer went way too quickly for most of us. Quickly because there was so much to do and get done, so it just seemed to go by fast. The kids thought it was great, since they had a family vacation to the North West coast to visit their Aunt. We saw Mount Saint Helens, camped at Mt. Hood, hiked Mt. Rainer, ate at the cheese factory, played in the ocean surf, overall it was a blast.

Thankfully before the vacation the Lord opened up the door for me to teach! This is a door I have been waiting to go through for quite some time. I believe most of my college friends have all found jobs and places where they are supposed to be now. For me the door opened into second grade! So now I am a teacher with a class of students. I have spent the last several weeks preparing for this new teaching assignment!

I have the walls all decorated, the desks lined up, and the place is just about ready for the second graders. As for me I have been gleaning as much professional development as possible and getting myself ready to begin next week! Last week I started listening to Dr. Missler’s commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, while I drive to and from the city for work. It is great to be able to have a bit of time to gear up for the morning and wind back down at the end of the day.

As I lay awake in the early hours thinking of all the things I have yet to get done before the big meet the teacher night, I realized I needed to blog. Here is my place where I can post updates and share experiences thus far. So with that in mind I think I will run down a quick list for new teachers who might need this in the future… a list that will be ever growing with each new day.

First and foremost, find a mentor, find a friend, find someone who you can learn from. We will never have it all down completely and there will always be time for learning. I am in a smaller school and all the staff there have been awesome. I am glad I have a good team to work in and look forward to learning from them all.

The second thing to do is not over think everything. Yes we want the room to look great, the supplies organized, but do not stress over every small thing. Make lists, take time to reflect, and decide what matters most. I am already thinking of lessons and ideas to share with the kids.

Third and last for now, go out of your way to go the extra mile. Be willing to serve, be a giver, and do what you need to do to get it done. I came in last week and painted the dividing wall blue because it needed a fresh coat, and it adds to my overall theme of oceans and aquatics. Truly I want my kids to feel anchored in the classroom and be able to feel good about learning.

So I shall press on to what is ahead for teaching and look forward to more learning experiences as they come. God bless.

David