Just less than eight months ago, I stood outside the door of room C-16 at Kennedy Middle School watching as 25 sixth graders - some terrified at the thought of middle school and others already confident in their multi-colored Jordans - filed in to take their seats on the first day of school.
I'd woken up at 5:00 am, taking the time to curl my hair perfectly, slip on the coral JCrew dress that makes me feel like I can conquer the world, eat breakfast, and make a strong cup of coffee to jumpstart my day. I was out the door by 6:20, reciting to myself the words I would use to introduce Ms. McConnell to a roomful of children I had never met and, quite frankly, had little idea how to teach. School wouldn't start for another two and a half hours, but as would be the case for the next six months, I arrived no later than 6:45 in order to make extra copies just in case, rearrange the desks one last time, and - on that first day anyway - say a lengthy and anxiety-ridden prayer for the day and year ahead.
Jump ahead eight months and here I sit on the couch at my friend Liv's Amelia Island condo, sipping away at a cup of Columbian roast and watching rain fall out the window. It's the only rainy day of spring break. Seems like the perfect opportunity to sit, think, and write about the whirlwind of this past year. I'm also pretty sure I owe y'all about a million blog posts at this point.
It would be impossible for me to summarize the lessons of the past year in a single post, so instead I'm breaking it down into a little series. Because good. ness. I have learned a lot. I came into this experience passionate, driven, and honestly a little too sure of myself. But it's funny how 100 kids half your size with double your personality and spunk can teach you so much about your new profession and even more about yourself. It's been incredible to see how the Lord has used each one of them to reveal something to me. ...
... A, the sweet transfer from Honduras, new to the country and to the English language yet so excited to learn and show us that her words are timid but her mind is so sharp. ... K, who in eight months of school has never missed a tutoring session or an opportunity to make your heart melt with his massive smile and even bigger morning hugs. ... C, who despite the many commotions he causes in my third block has jokes for days, a laugh that makes it impossible to stay frustrated, and a mind for math that I'm so glad the former qualities didn't cause me to overlook. ...
I'm excited to introduce you guys to the little people with whom I spend so many hours of the day and to the lessons on lessons on lessons that they've taught me. But for now, I'm going to heed the biggest lesson of all - and the one I'll be writing about later this week - which is how important it is to rest.
Until next time!
Excited for this!
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