In the winter it occurred to me that I would more than likely be pink slipped at the end of the year. Kindergarten was changing throughout the district and my school was going from 5 classes of kindergartners down to 3. This of course saddened me for a number of reasons (I loved the school I was at, really enjoyed the people I got to work with each day, I wouldn't get to see my kiddos again probably, and of course I would be on the job hunt for a third summer which can be pretty discouraging when I see many teachers my age getting to keep their jobs). After a few months I got my pink slip and began looking for a new jobs. As of this point I have nothing lined up for the fall. I am hoping that more jobs will be posted this month and into August, but have no way of knowing whether I will have my own classroom again.
Coming to the end of an experience always causes me to reflect. I have spent a lot of time thinking since April and wanted to record some of my reflections here.
- I should never assume that a class cannot be more challenging than one I have already worked with. I thought the class I worked with during a long term subbing position was about as difficult as it could be. They were challenging for sure, but my kindergartners this year were most certainly a handful I wasn't expecting.
- It is awesome to work with a good staff. As a first year teacher with a challenging class it was such a sweet blessing to have not only a grade level team who was supportive, but many other staff members as well. The staff I worked with was welcoming, kind, and helpful throughout the year.
- Kindergartners are so sincere in there feelings and emotions. They aren't as good at masking their feelings and so most of the time you know how they are feeling. When they were happy they were really happy and when they were upset they were really upset! There is something so encouraging about seeing genuine emotions--even if it is coming out through a meltdown :) They are also very open with telling you that they love you.
- Supportive parents and grandparents are an incredible blessing to teachers and students. Enough said.
- Music is an awesome tool. I am a fine singer, but I don't love singing by myself in front of others. It makes me quite nervous. This year, however, I decided to use it often in my classroom specifically in the form of sight word songs. Every week we would learn a few new sight words that they would need to be able to read and write at certain times throughout the year. Each week I would take tunes of songs that I already knew and put sight word lyrics to them. My class loved these songs and we sang them throughout the day as we transitioned between activities. This was easily one of the things I am most proud of from this year. The last week of school I recorded us singing through all the songs and I am so happy to have those for future use.
- Relationships of trust are so important in teaching. Learning requires that risks be taken and it is a lot easier to take risks when you trust your teacher.
- Routine is important and helpful. Flexibility is necessary, but returning to the normal order of things is beneficial for the classroom environment.
I learned a great many other things through my teaching, but will only share those seven for now. Teaching is challenging, but it is rewarding as well. I find it truly incredible and humbling when I consider all that my kindergartners were able to learn in the last year. So very thankful to have had the experience of teaching kindergarten with its many blessings and challenges.
