It's been a whirl wind time these last few months. Seems my class is a revolving door of children this year!! I have lost 3 and gained 4 at different intervals in the first 4 months of school!
Anyway, despite the upheaval and extra work that that implies for me and the disruption in the flow of the day for the other students, there have been moments of great learning and fun. Here are a few:
 |
| Here is a game of memorization and vocabulary building as well as number naming. They place different objects in one of the numbered squares. Then their partner covers their eyes. The other partner moves something around. Then the one who wasn't looking opens his/her eyes and trys to describe what changed. |
 |
| Number puzzles. |
 |
| Reading! |
 |
| Construction Center - always a crowd pleaser. |
 | |
| ABC Center - matching letters. |
 |
| Pretend and Learn Center - coffee, baby, and talking on the phone. Look like anyone you know? |
 |
| Washing dishes, mopping the floor....funny how you hate it when you actually HAVE to do it. |
 |
| Writing letters!! |
 |
| Using the Letter Wall to write the words to his story. Yesss! |
 |
| Discovery in the Science Center. The goggles are the main attraction. |
 |
| MAJOR back up on the mix master!! |
As much as I enjoy teaching and working with small children, I find that more and more I am getting burned out by all the OTHER things that are or have become a part of my job as a teacher. The endless unreasonable demands on my time, and the expectations on the children; the extra paper work; and especially the continued low esteem to what we already do and sacrifice for the children. The only thing that matters is money, and the all-important TESTS!!
I'm so tired. It just gets worse every year and it will continue to with the continued impact of he budget cuts. I'm less sure every day that it is worth it in the end.
I can't pour myself into this job without great personal cost to my health and the priority of my husband/family.
I have enjoyed so much about teaching in the 5 years I've done it but I would be lying if i didn't admit I wasn't looking forward to the end.
In a couple of years we plan on starting a family and I want to stay home to care for our children (in which ever way they enter our lives).
I hold onto that light at the end of my tunnel for now and try to do the authentic teaching that gets results and allows for individual growth whenever I can squeeze it in between the endless assessments, interventions, 'proof of learning' activity products, and other mindless paperwork.
I will always try to look back at this time with fondness but also with gladness, that I could be released to do the even more weighty work of eternal value that is my family.
I can't wait to see where else the Lord will lead. :)
