First day...

Well, it was my first day back to work today. I got called in to a learning assistance and assessment class, so it was a really nice start with only 6-7 students, and a partner T.A. It was actually really satisfying to be back, though I did miss the kids a lot. Still, it's only 2 days a week and I really can't complain at all. I don't know how the moms who work full time juggle everything.

Within the first 20 minutes of the morning I had remembered why I love teaching...it's the kids! Just having that precious opportunity to interact with them and make an impact however small. Seeing those kids come in this morning, some happy-go-lucky, some brooding and angry reminded me that for the time they are under my care I have the opportunity to influence their mood, their day, their learning and their thinking....what an awesome responsibility. One boy this morning smelled so strongly of smoke, it permeated the entire room. Some of the stuff we see and hear as teachers is so heart-breaking. And maddening. Like why these innocent little Grade fours should know who 'Slim Shady' is. Yikes.

I also love teaching because of the interesting and funny moments it brings to my day. The things kids say! And today, my T.A. marked some papers and wrote a correction for the word 'whale' to be spelled correctly as 'wale'! What?! I marked them after her and didn't know what to do...should I correct her 'correction' and embarrass her? Nope, not this time. And then there was the reading booklet that I attempted to put together. I'm a little out of practice! I did it wrong, so that the words got way too close to the inside crease, and it became very very difficult to read. The poor boy that had to read it struggled through at first, but when it became nearly impossible to see half the words he finally said "I think something is wrong with this book" to which we all had a good laugh.

So in short it was a very good day, and I'm happy to be back!