How It All Began...

It may sound like a little bit of complaining, but it really isn't. I'm just telling you how it was, without any exaggeration. :-)

I was told in college that a new teacher (or any teacher, for that matter) should accept the first position offered to them, even if it is not an ideal job, because people (principals) talk and they want loyal employees. I can understand that. The elementary education field is very competitive, believe it or not. So, I accepted my first and current teaching job at a brand new charter school three days after my Senior Internship ended and 10 days before graduation. I know what you're thinking: the dream! Right? Well, it kinda is. My Heavenly Father literally dropped this opportunity into my lap. I hadn't applied for the job or even submitted my resume to the school. It was one of those small-town, "Oh I know her, so I'll hire her" type of things. That, and a great recommendation from my College Supervisor certainly helped.

It was May, three months before school began, and there was absolutely nothing in my classroom. My thought was, "I guess they haven't gotten all the stuff yet" (that is exactly what I thought). So I began to collect...and collect...and collect. I collected what I thought was a decent amount of supplies, and took it to my classroom one day over the summer. Now 1/16 of my classroom closet was full. Hm. "I guess the stuff hasn't come yet.....still..."

...

Let's fast forward three months. August, my first day of pre-planning. Two weeks before school starts and my classroom is still empty, save one rolling chair, an 8-ft plastic table and a crate with three packets of construction paper provided to me. Yeah, three whole packets. This is kindergarten, remember. I was freaking out, to say the least.

So what does a brand new teacher with no resources do? This one prayed.

Then I started making my contacts...other kindergarten teachers mostly. Teachers who had literally opened up their filing cabinets over the summer and had given  me a copy of everything they had. And then I continued to make things...signs, posters, rules, calendars. And then I started to buy things...supplies, folders, glue, crayons,things to sort, things to cut, books to read, and the like. I hadn't even begun to think about the first day of school...oh, did I mention that I teach the only kindergarten class in the school?

The first two weeks were absolutely the toughest two weeks of my life. Day One was scary because "they" (the students) were coming. Day Two was horrible because I knew that they were coming back. I'll spare you the not-so-lovely details of those two weeks.

Long story short, I made it. And even though 93% of my classroom was either made by myself or a family member or bought by myself or a family member, I made it. And successfully, by my own assumptions....actually that's a good question. Not having another Kindergarten teacher at the school all the time to compare notes with is a bit nerve-wracking.

Week Three was even better, and now, at the end of Week 10, I wake up every morning wanting to go to work. Praise God I have a job that I love. I hear my name 74,432 times a day, I repeat every thing I say at least three times, and it is not uncommon to hear a random "I love you, Miss H" or "I love your toes, Miss H". Seriously, it's awesome. My students are learning, really learning, and both they and I are loving it.

Anyway, there were a few obstacles I neglected to tidy up. Those tables and chairs arrived 2 days before school began (thanks dad and brother for putting them together). I had no access to a copier for 8 weeks (thanks dad and brother for making copies at work for me). I had no school-issued computer until Week 6 (good thing I had just bought a new laptop for myself).  I still do not have a projector installed, so my students have to look at PowerPoint pictures from my laptop (the easiest way to show visuals). But, thanks to my Heavenly Father, I'm still alive and surviving Kindergarten.

Those were the physical obstacles. I think I'll save the other trials and joys of teaching for another post. Let's just say I'm learning lessons about trusting God through EVERYTHING, not worrying too much and how crucial it is to surrender my talents and days in Kindergarten to Him. He is in control of everything, Praise be to His everlasting name.

Til next time,
The Kindergarten Teacher