Change is Coming!

Well, it is with a nervous excitement that I share this news.  I am leaving first grade, to go back to the place it all started 10 years ago...kindergarten!  I was a kindergarten teacher for my very first year of teaching.  I was so young, fresh out of college, and not at all sure how to run a kindergarten classroom.  Looking back, I can say with a bit of humble pride that the year was a smashing success (with the help of some amazing veteran teachers).  I will NEVER forget those sweet faces or loving hugs (I can still list every child's first and last name from that class).  However, as the year ended, I approached my principal about moving to a higher grade the following year because I longed to teach a class with a more structured schedule.  I went to 3rd, and then 1st, and then 2nd, and then back to 1st, where I  have been teaching for 4 consecutive years!  Every move has been of my choice and I have just been incredibly blessed to have principals who have always supported my grade-level changes.  This change is perhaps the biggest one yet.  Not only am I switching grade levels but I will also be moving to a new school.  I am sad to know that I will not be able to see the smiling faces of my students from the past four years as they pass through the halls.  I am sad to leave the colleagues that I have grown close to over the years.  I am devastated about leaving my assistant of the past 3 years; she has truly been my partner. I swear I think we can finish each other sentences 75% of the time.  With this being said, I am incredibly excited about getting another chance to teach kindergarten.  I have grown so much over the past ten years, both personally and professionally, and I can't wait to use what I have learned in the most important grade-level....the foundation of it all.  I am also beyond excited about joining a new staff and learning more from all they have to offer.  So give me some time to settle in with my new kinders and keep your eyes open because we will be blogging this school year!  I just have to remember how to keep their attention long enough to participate;)     

"change is a reflection of our inner growth and empowerment."

— Robert E. Quinn