My Life- My Career

I always knew I loved children. From a very young age my BFF, Erin, and I would make life plans. I was to have a family and she was going to be our maid/housekeeper. Some plan huh? It didn't EXACTLY turn out that way.

I soon knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I babysat constantly as a child, starting to watch my neighbors, Jonathan and Peter, and my cousin, Kory, when I was as young as 11 years old. For a brief time my interest became focused on mathematics and drawing houses so I thought that maybe I would become an architect. I soon changed my mind back to teacher. I worked in a daycare/preschool all through college- studying Elementary and Special Education. I graduated Magna Cum Laude and got a teaching job that summer.

Teaching is definitely my calling. I love teaching. You have heard me reference my favorite moment, the "Ah ha!" moment in a The Hot Seat post. Last year became a bit tough for me, though. I was in my 6th year of teaching - then 4th grade, and a first time mom. I had a class, quite possibly from Hell, and a sick infant from too much exposure at day care. Quite simply, I was miserable. I was stressed from my insanely needy class, teaching duties, sick child, and home duties. I knew I needed to find a reasonable compromise so that I did not go certifiably crazy!

That is when I "took hold of an opportunity." I realized that the Title 1 Literacy program in my school was the PERFECT fit for me. Its 4.5 hours a day, 5 days a week. Its still teaching- real valuable lessons to students who need it. Its less behavior management and less teaching duties. Its more time at home with my son and less time for him in daycare/sitter. I have since removed him from the daycare and he has been so much healthier this year. Is it that he is not a baby anymore? Is it from being exposed to less germs? Is it that Mommy is not stressed so much anymore? My guess is that its a combination of all of those.