Goodbyes

Goodbyes are always hard for me. Even though I'm totally excited about summer, I'm really sad to say "goodbye" to my students. I've had a lot of them for both years that I've worked there, and even if I do take the job they've offered me, I won't have the same students next year. So it's hard.

Also, I'll have a new classroom next year if I take the job they've offered me (math intervention teacher). While I'm SUPER excited to have my own room, I'm sad to say goodbye to my "home" for the past 2 years. So I took some pictures of it today. The teacher I share a room with has pretty much completely cleaned out our room already, so it's a little depressing :-( But here they are:

Goodbye empty white board and bulletin board in the back of the room:
Goodbye empty bulletin board and bookshelves. (Yay that I will have my own next year, though! I didn't get to decorate this one)
Goodbye front white board and work table. This is the spot where I spent a lot of my small group instruction time, and administered lots of tests.
Goodbye to my first official teacher's desk! I spent many planning periods sitting there making plans and grading papers. And possibly reading a few blogs, too ;-)
Goodbye to my lifesaving planner. This is my school planner, because I know I have a lot of them! But I guess I won't need it much this summer!
Goodbye to my top, left desk drawer. This is where I stash all my fun stuff like my phone (yes, I text on the job. Sue me :-P Only during breaks, though), book just in case I have extra time on my lunch break, and there's usually some sort of candy or snack in there, too. Trust me, teachers NEED chocolate sometimes.
Goodbye morning playground duty. I have not enjoyed you from 7:30-8:00 every morning (although I did have every third week off as you can see from the schedule). Breaking up fights and taking care of playground injuries is not my favorite way to start the day (can you tell there's only 1 week left on my list that isn't crossed off?? Yay!)
And goodbye to our dead classroom plants. Mrs. C (Crazy lady whom I share a room with) thought it would be a good idea to teach the kids responsibility by planting some things that THEY would have to water and take care of. We weren't allowed to help them. You can see how that turned out. Lesson obviously NOT learned. But Mrs. C finally threw them out today. I was getting terribly sick of looking at them. It was depressing to see all that deadness!

And that's it: my classroom/home for the past 2 years. I'm a little sad to leave. But whether or not I take the job they've offered me, I will be doing bigger and better things next year. I'm still not sure if I will take it or not. They are offering for me to do a much harder and more time-consuming job, but not offering a higher pay or benefits. Before they offered the new job, I was planning on moving on next year. Now I'm not so sure. I could probably make more money subbing, and I would have a more flexible schedule. And I'm toying around with the idea of going somewhere TOTALLY different next year too. I'm not 100% sure that I want to get my masters in any type of education. I've been thinking about going back to school for library science. That way I could work in a public library, or if I still want to be working with kids, I could work in a school library. We'll see...I've got a lot of decisions to make this summer.

Oh, and just for the record, in case anyone read my post yesterday. I'm NOT pregnant. I was pretty sure I wasn't anyway, but just had that longing inside of me I guess. I was upset at first, but then realized it's probably for the best. We're not ready or even trying yet. I need to enjoy this stage of FREEDOM as newlyweds before I'm ready to add such a gargantuan, life-changing responsibility!

In the past year, Luke and I have gotten married, Luke got a new job, we rented an amazing apartment when we got married (which I miss!), we got our first pet, we bought a house, not to mention we became landlords, we renovated 2/3s or said house, and now no matter what I choose, I will be changing jobs next year. ISN'T THAT ENOUGH CHANGES FOR ONE YEAR?! I really think it has. And I'm ready to relax and enjoy life for awhile, change-free. I don't have a wedding to plan this summer, after all (unlike last year). So I'm happy for it to just be me and Luke for awhile longer! Our bodies are probably on stress-overload from all the changes, and I think we can live without the stress of a baby! lol...now ask me in a year or two, and I might say I'm ready. But for now, I'm content with life as it is!

So remember to live in the moment, seize the day, and don't wish for tomorrow! God gives us blessings each and every day, so don't be so busy looking to the future that you miss them! That's what I learned today :-)