Anniversary: Five Minute Friday

Five Minute Friday is a weekly link-up where a community of bloggers crafts a post based on a common topic. This week the topic is Anniversary. To check out the rest of the community and their posts click here. Now on to my five minutes of uninterrupted, unedited writing:

Next week I will begin my eighth school year as a teacher.

I cannot believe how fast time has gone. It feels like yesterday that my twenty-one-year-old self was nervously entering the teaching field. At the time I was unprepared and naive. I learned quickly to adapt to the demands of the job that college couldn’t prepare me for. My biggest challenge that first year was my age. My students weren’t much younger than I was. Because of that, I struggled with classroom management (although I’m pretty sure every first year teacher does.)

I did grow a lot that first year. By the end, I started to gain confidence.

Over the years I’ve fallen more in love with my job. My colleagues, friends, and students give me reason to go to work each day. I’m inspired by the people I’ve met and the kindness that exists at my school.

It’s been seven months since I last stood in front of a classroom of students. Those months were spent cuddling and bonding with my newborn. As I stare at the end of this blessed maternity leave I am reminding myself that if I have to leave my baby at least it is for something I love with people I also love. My teaching community will surround me with the love I need to get back at it. And I am looking forward to the adventures that this eighth school year will bring.

The Ameri Brit Mom