I really don't know how y'all are so diligent at updating your blogs all the time. I'll post an entry, then get swept up in the busy-ness of the school year and not even look at it again until next month. It's my goal to be better at that next year. Of course, next year I am going to have about double the responsibilities as I have the past three years, so I think my best laid plans may not come fully to fruition. Due to two teachers on my kinder team transferring to another school, I have now become the "veteran" teacher on my team in my FOURTH year of teaching. And we are having not one, but two brand new teachers take their place, so I'm really going to have to be on top of my own stuff so as to make sure I am fully available to help the newbies get settled in. I remember how amazing and wonderful my team was to me in my first year of teaching, so I hope I can even do half as helpful a job as they all did for me.
That being said, I took a bit longer getting checked out of my classroom at the end of the year than usual and took the time to really go through and organize everything. I figured by the time August rolled back around I'd be much happier knowing a lot of those little things were finished already. I have a feeling this summer won't be as relaxing as I'd like because I'm feeling like I have to keep thinking about all of the things I need to take care of for the beginning of the year. I even brought some of my teacher's edition reading and math books home for the summer in case I got inspired to create some new activities for the first few weeks of the year.
This year I had one of the toughest classes I have ever experienced in regards to behavior. Let's just say my little lovely class was a bit, ahem, renowned throughout the school. But the strangest thing about that is that I think I miss those kids more than I have ever missed a class in my life. The extreme "pulling my hair out" feelings I felt throughout the year must have created extreme love for them in my heart! They were such a loving bunch. Kindergarten is the most wonderful grade to teach. The kids just absolutely adore you and love school with everything they have. You can make them excited about ANYTHING! (Hint: Tack on the word "special" and they'll be all over it. Special new notebooks, special new pencils.... they'll eat it up... even if it really isn't all that exciting!)
I'll miss my kiddos from this year, but the great thing about teaching is, once they're your kids, they're ALWAYS your kids... no matter how old they get. Is it not the best thing ever when your old students come back to visit?
One thing I will try not to think about: Beginning of the year Kindergarten students. Yikes. /shudder ;)
Happy summertime!
--Caitlin
