>Twenty-six new friends

>And no, I’m not talking about accepted friend requests on Facebook.

Today I went back to the classroom as a full-time aide at yet another small rural district. For some reason I am drawn to them. I guess I prefer the familiarity and closeness that they afford. And to be fair, I’ve never taught in a large district, not full-time anyway. Maybe I would like it more.

I met twenty-six six and seven year-olds who will be my friends from now until the end of the school year. I am known as “Mrs. W.” (I can thank my husband for my strange last name… [love you babe!]). I love the fact that I am a certified teacher and have had some classroom experience. When the teacher went home sick today, I had no qualms about taking over the class for the rest of the day. You get to know the students quickly when you are with them all day long.

To be brutally honest, I had never had any iota of desire to teach elementary, or be involved full-time like this. I had done my share of teaching piano and working at Sylvan. But when I was casually browsing websites of preferred school districts, I came across this opportunity and decided to go for it.

I’m glad I did. I can use my degree, get paid a more agreeable wage than retail, and get some experience at the elementary level. My certificate qualifies me to teach K-12 Spanish, but my only true experience teaching Spanish has been from junior high and older.

In some aspects, teaching is teaching and students are students. I know I will say many of the same things I did in high school. And really, a lot of what this age learns of language is similar to the starting point of foreign language at the secondary level.

While I will be working full-time when Aaron’s home (January) I have the advantage of having nights and weekends off. And his schedule will be changing this week so I’ll be able to get to sleep around ten instead of beginning our conversation then.

Now, off to not work on lesson plans. 🙂 And to combat this sinus infection with relaxing and lots of fluids!