As I closed up my classroom one more time, it began to hit me: I'm leaving first grade. It's time to peel off safety net (that just didn't feel that safe in the beginning) and move up. "I never intended to teach first grade." Those were the words that I kept hearing myself say on Friday to my friends and coworkers. It's true I never wanted to teach first grade until I met Sue Grim and practiced being a teacher in her classroom. Suddenly teaching a kids how to read became the most exciting part of being a teacher. There is not sense of accomplishment that can compete with hearing a kids read and knowing you've had a hand in the process. I will forever think of myself not as a teacher, but a "t-shirt." I adore my first grade team, but I have to confess that this move feels like one step closer to home. So this journey begins a new and I'm really excited about it. My had is bubbling with ideas (I better writing some down), things I want to try, projects I want to embark on. I'll confess, too, that at the back of my mind I'm a little scared that I'll just keep failing...but that's a thought for another post. For today I'm excited to start a new leg of the journey. Interestingly my focus right now appears to be teaching fourth grade, when this move is, at it's core, about moving into administration some day. Hmmm....more to think about, write about on another blog. "All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware." (Martin Buber)
