Exciting Things!

I have exciting news! I have accepted a third grade position at Henry's Fork Elementary in St. Anthony, Idaho. It's part of the Fremont School District. I am really excited for this change and the opportunities that will arise from it.

Here are some of the things I'm excited for: 

1. Four day week! I can't believe I am lucky enough to move to a district that has a four day schedule. School days go a little longer, which is awesome. I've said for years that I could use an extra hour in the day! We work one or two Fridays a month, but it's a work day and not a student day. So I actually have a chance to enjoy a weekend rather than feeling like I have to go in to make sure I'm caught up.

2. Jeans! I get to wear jeans every day and I don't have to pay to do it! I've always thought it's ridiculous that teachers everywhere don't get to wear jeans regularly. I know the intent is to create a more professional atmosphere, but wearing jeans doesn't make me any less professional when I'm spending time on the floor with my kids in business casual. Jeans just seem more conducive to the job. As a side note, in my former district, I did pay to wear the jeans, because I wanted to support the education foundation who raise money for teacher grants.

3. Prep time! Weird thing to get excited about, right? Not when you're coming from a job where you were lucky to get half an hour once a week. My before and after school hours were filled with meetings, phone calls, etc. so very little actual planning got to happen. I had to stay longer, come in on weekends, or take work home to stay caught up. I actually got to the point where I wasn't willing to do that any longer, because it was taking a toll on my physical and mental health. I always gave 100% while I was there, but once contract hours were up, I had to leave for my own sake. Now I will have almost an hour EVERY DAY. Every. Single. Day. I don't even know what I'm going to do with that amount of time! Okay, yes I do. I'm going to work hard to get things done so that I don't have to come in on non-work Fridays or weekends.

4. Pay raise! I will be making more money at my new job than I am at my current job. That's always a plus! I'd like to be able to get out of debt and then buy a house (to get in more debt, but whatever). 

5. New friends! Everyone I've met at my new school is so friendly and kind. I've been lucky in my current job that I've worked with really fantastic people who have become good friends, and even best friends. It will be good for me to get to know new people though, and this gives me a great opportunity to do that.

6. Not living in the same town I teach in! That may sound weird, but I have a hard time living in the community I teach in. I am the kind of person that needs separation between parts of life. I don't like it when my work life crosses with my personal life, unless it's by my own choice with my friends.

7. Mostly the same curriculum. I don't even have to really learn any new curriculum. They have a different math program, but math is math. The language arts and phonics intervention programs are the same as what I've been teaching. They literally just bought these two programs! I'm going in with a head start, and I hope that I can be a good resource for my new colleagues in using these programs.

8. A bit of a drive. Again, a weird thing to be excited about, but I have my reasons. Right now, it takes me less than five minutes to get from home to work. It's not a lot of time to collect my thoughts and decompress. I will have a bit longer commute now. Honestly, it doesn't really even count as a commute, because it'll be 20 minutes max. But I need my quiet time to just be still. I look forward to the quiet of my drive.

9. Having an on-site counselor. This is HUGE. Kids are experiencing more things earlier in life, and I am just not qualified to help them effectively. I don't have the training for these things! I can be sympathetic and try my best, but it's not the same as a mental health professional. I will have access to someone who IS qualified and I am so excited about that. 

10. The peace of mind I have. This year has been really hard on me. I've experienced a lot of mental and physical health challenges in the past few years, and they seem to have really come to a head this year. I am in almost constant physical pain, my anxiety has been worse, and my overall mental health has suffered. I can't blame work for causing the struggles, but it definitely hasn't helped. There's been a lot more stress and feelings of inadequacy; like I can't do anything right. It's been really difficult. I feel at peace with my choice to leave and seek out new employment. I feel like it is the right thing for me at this point in my life. I've also wondered if maybe all the stress has actually been a tool to help me make the right choice. 

I will be able to get into my new classroom the first week in June. I am planning to keep my decor the same - it's very calming and I think it's lovely. I have started packing things already. I don't want to wait until the last week of school and be stressed about it. I am taking the things I don't currently need. It's also giving me a chance to get rid of anything that is outdated or useless. I'm also taking things that belong to me personally, so that they don't get left behind in the shuffle. Most of the things in my room have come out of my pocket, so I'm taking those. I've been able to sell some things too, which is nice. The biggest challenge will be moving my classroom library. It's huge. Massive. Over 4,000 books. I will need to weed out some that might not be suitable for third grade, but I'll be able to use most of them. 

I can't wait to share my new adventures as they unfold!