First Days of School

FB post: The first days of school have been SO good! Our kids have come home chatty, with lots to share, and it makes me so happy to hear the excitement in their voices, after a year and a half of struggle with distance learning. I added to the excitement of the first weeks when I agreed (last week) to temporarily fill in as the 6th grade science teacher at Aubrey’s school. A last minute resignation left them with an open position. (Anyone know a science teacher who wants to work at an amazing school??) The craziness of fall has begun, and I am so thankful! 

We have a senior, a sophomore, an 8th grader, and a 5th grader this year (photo credit goes to Greg who is currently still working from home). Praying the kids can have a “normal,” fun-filled school year! (A lot of things have been different at home this first week because of me working. The traditional first-day cookies are a great example. They look different—not made by me—and are a little wonky, but they’re still good. 😂)

Kari and Grant had their first days of school a day before Aubrey and Joel, although Kari only went for the morning. Seniors don't usually go a day early, but they wanted them to have some extra time to talk about senior year things since last year was weird with COVID. Aubrey actually went to school that day, too, but she was a WOMS leader and helped out with the 6th graders all day. She and Joel had their official first days the next day.

And yes, I started out the year as the 6th grade science teacher. I got the phone call on the Monday of the week before school was supposed to start. The teacher had put in his resignation just days before that, and they had no applicants for the position and needed someone to start the year for them. I agreed to do it, and the next day was in online meetings all day (the building wasn't ready yet), and then went into the school the rest of that week, prepping the classroom, and trying to get ready for students. It was crazy! I had no access to the curriculum, no lesson plans, no nothing! It took a week for them to get me the right passwords and clearance to get into the systems and sites I needed. I begged for help from a couple other teachers who had taught sixth grade science before, and I made it work. It was very stressful, to say the least. 

After the first week of school, they still had no applicants for the position and asked if I'd consider staying on. I seriously considered doing it. I really enjoyed being at West Orient, love the staff and team I worked with, and I really enjoyed being with the students. I had forgotten how much I love teaching! Our family prayed about it, and I asked God to make it very clear what I should do. I wanted to say yes. If it had been language arts, I probably would have done it, but two weeks in, after working every evening and 10+ hours on the weekend, it became very clear at 11pm on a Saturday night after working many hours, that this was not the right position for me at this time. I was having to create everything as I went, and it would have been that way all year, and for what? I was not going to teach science in the future! My family needed me to be more available, and I wanted to have more time at home to be there for them and be the wife and mom I want to be. It was a tough decision, but it was the right one. The staff was very supportive and understanding of my decision. The sixth grade team even gave me a very sweet card of thanks along with a $50 gift card to Silk Coffee. I felt terrible, though, because they didn't have anyone else. I told them I'd work through the last week of September, and October 1 would be my last day. That last week was very difficult and stressful, which was reassuring to me that I had made the right choice in being done. They ended up hiring a young woman with a Master's in conservation science, and while it was not an ideal situation, as she didn't have a teaching license and the process was going to be tricky, at least they had a plan. I planned things out as best I could for the next couple weeks and said goodbye. It was a bittersweet goodbye, but I'll be back subbing again soon.