3 more days...

This is the first year I'm a little sad that a school year is coming to an end for summer. Actually, I lied....the end of my senior year was a little sad.   I've been working at the same school for the past two years, and I have to stop because I need to start student teaching for school.  Unfortunately, I can't work and student teach at the same time :(   I am very excited to get further along in my journey of becoming a special education teacher, but I'm going to miss everyone at my job so much.  Some kids I've seen pretty much everyday of the school year for the past two years, and I'm very sad to leave them.  They have grown so much, and I know they have become used to my presence in the classroom.  One little girl I work with ALWAYS walk up to me before school starts to say hi....definitely going to miss that. While a goal of a special education teacher is to teach students how to be as independent as possible, I love the feeling I get from being able to help them when they face challenges. I like being there to tell my students it's OKAY if they don't understand everything that their classmates are doing. I LOVE being there to encourage my students and help them see their unique gifts they bring to their class.

I know life can't always stay the same, and I know I can't stay an instructional aide forever.  I want to be a teacher, and the only way I can finish up school is by leaving my position.  Not only that, I want to be done with school, so I can actually get a FT job and move on in life in general.  When I first started working at my school, the principal talked about how everyone at the school is like a family.  I've found myself a part of an amazing family and I am a little scared to leave a school that has become like a home.  Kind of like leaving my real home to go to college for the first time, it was scary - yet, I knew it was something I had to do in order to get where I wanted to be.  Whatever school I student teach at will give me new experiences and I have no doubt about that.  I know I've been blessed to work at a very nice school with an overwhelming amount of support from teacher and parents.  I know that can't be found at every school - so I'll just see where I end up.  That's all I can do, right?  Whether my experience is just as good, better, or worse than my experience at the school I've been working at ....I know I will learn what I need to in order to do my best for my future students.

Here's to 2 fabulous years at one school and a memorable experience for the future!