First Year of Teaching

I remember the smell of pencil dust. Do you know that smell?

The aroma, and yes, for me it was an aroma, that came from placing my yellow pencil in the correctly gauged metal hole,  twisting the handle, feeling the tension on the pencil, and the dust sprinkle from the bottom container, because that seal was not made for keeping dust in. That dust represented words I hadn't yet written, or a test I was about to do well on. It was the promise of writing. Sometimes the sun would hit the dust just right, and it would look like pixie dust.

Pencils are my jam.

I like Ticonderoga pencils best. Their lead is like chocolate, and the erasers work like smooth operators. Mistakes with Ticonderoga pencils feel like an adventure, and a chance to feel a pencil live up to its full potential.

I have always wanted to be a teacher. Since I was a little girl. Well, a teacher and a writer. I am figuring out the seasons and reasons for each of these roles. This year I really dove into the role of being a teacher, by getting hired at a school as a middle school math, English, and Civics teacher.

I am a dress wearing, guitar playing, seat rearranging, journal assigning,TED talk watching, poetry reading, mother of four, teacher. And this had been a challenging year. In the words of Disney's Pocahontas," I learned things I never knew, I never knew.

I've learned about segregation, historically and in reality. I've learned about the challenge of balancing. I've learned the importance of boundaries, and how terrible I am at setting them. I've learned about growth mindset, that tells me I can learn how to set boundaries and become better. I've learned what it means to pray for the students in my classroom, and never tell them. I've learned what I value in co-workers and what makes a delightful student. I've learned not everyone loves pencils as much as I do. Some people forget and lose theirs day after day. I've learned a lot. I'm a good teacher. Not a perfect teacher, but a good one. I have lots of potential. And now I have experience. I almost have one year under my belt.

My rocking blue belt.