Career Update

Well, the first two weeks are over. I survived! The entire first week I was depressed and kept telling myself, "What have I done!" Now, things have started to settle down and I am figuring things out on a much faster pace. I still do not know what the weeks ahead will bring but I am managing. Family support has been great, my husband has turned out to be a fantastic helper! We spend our "together" time in bed with me grading the papers and handing them off to him to record. He thinks I am mean since most of my kiddos have NOT been doing there work (hmmm...imagine that). I guess he feels bad because that was the kind of student he once was, haha.... but true! I have thought about quitting a time or too, but that just is not my nature. I will stick out the ENTIRE year and make a decision at the end if this is what I plan on doing for the rest of my life. Everyone has said that the first year is the hardest, well, I am praying that they are being honest. I see some 5+ year teachers still struggling and coping with the job! Anyways, I am getting better at planning, organizing, and discipline in my classroom...... I still have not adjusted to modifications on TONS of students, parents sending letters to excuse homework (this never happened in my day), co-teachers who come into your classroom and CHANGE everything (uh....what!), and of course lazy kids doing poor work!

On another note, please start praying for my Kinko! We will be seeing the cardiologist this month sometime about progress with her heart. Every appointment has gone great since she was 5 months old, but she has grown alot! Let's all pray that her heart has done the same.

New Beginnings

We have so many new things going on in our lives right now and adjusting to them have been difficult. I recently started a new job as a 5th grade reading teacher and that has been extremely overwhelming! I have never been so tired in my life. I love my school and the people I work with, it is the actual work load that is getting me down. Last year as a PE teacher/coach I never had to do a lesson plan, never worried about grades, and was comfortable all day long in shorts and a t-shirt. I have been stressed out daily with preparing lesson plans each day, grading papers, following modifications, DRESS CODE (which is so uncomfortable), and all the extra duties that comes with teaching. I totally miss my job from last year. I decided not to coach this year because I was never home to see the kids. I had practice everyday till about 6 o'clock and atleast two games a week that put me home after midnight. The kids were needing constant babysitters with Justin having to work late nights on top of mine. We decided that one of us had to change careers so I put my passion on the back burner. Since I have started my job as just a teacher this year, I have not seen much change in my schedule. I am normally the last one to leave school (even after the coach's because of preparing for the next day)and when I get home.......lesson plans, grades, and the stress of the job weighs on my mind! Every night this week (which has been the first week of school) I have not gone to bed till about 1:00 am. I wake up at 5:30 and arrive at school around 7am to make copies of the days assignment and be at morning duty by 7:15am. I am having to come up with all my material and lesson plans on my own - I just follow a scope and sequence of what needs to be covered so it is VERY TIME CONSUMING! Anyways, I am not liking my job so far..... I love teaching and helping the kids, but time with mine is worse than it was last year already! ( I am too tired to play and there is work for me to do as soon as they are in bed)

On another note....... the kids are doing much better than last year! I was so worried to put them in daycare but they are adjusting great! At 8:15pm they are crashed from a long day of playing at school and 6:00am comes around EARLY in the morning for my little angels. I take them with me in the morning and pick them up when I leave school. I only really get to spend about 2 hours with them before it is there bed time, but atleast we have the weekends together now! Justin took them pretty much the first week for me and I picked them up because I needed to get at school early to prepare for my day. I am hoping that things will get easier as time passes. I have been bad about taking pictures ( I did not even take one of them on their first day) but will get one up soon of them at daycare. The first few day Kara cried but now she just goes right in. Kinsley was ready to go from day one, she is getting so big! Everyday that I pick them up they are happy and having fun, and excited to see me.

Justin, well, he is doing wonderful with the change. He has alot of time to himself and is getting TONS of things accomplished at home. With the kids gone and me at work, he takes naps, cleans the house, does the laundry, works out, and does pretty much whatever he wants to until he goes to work (this week he went in at 4pm).

I will keep everyone posted on my job, hopefully I can get caught up on the weekends and not be so stressed during the week.....to be continued...