That's my word for this school year - adjust. There have been many changes in both my personal and professional lives recently that have inspired this post.
In my personal life, my oldest is now a college freshman at University of Minnesota. I am so proud of him - but our entire house is adjusting to him being gone. He is my early bird friend and I miss his goofy opera singing in the mornings. My husband misses him. His brother and sister miss him as well. I am blessed with kids that like each other and enjoy each other's company. I hope this continues into adulthood. We will adjust, but it will take time.
In my professional life, there have been a lot of changes - with these has come the need to adjust some more. My district has gone from half day kindergarten to full day. I am thrilled and so thankful for the gift of time this gives to my students, but it is really different from half-day. I am still experimenting with my daily schedule and helping my students build their stamina. I have found some spots that are going very smoothly and at these times I feel in the groove. We accomplish a lot during these moments. Other times are still quite bumpy and need some tweaking. I will adjust, but it will take time.
Last year I had 15 students. The most I've had in the past 7 years has been 19. This year, I have 23 bright, bushy-tailed students with energy to spare. This has been my biggest adjustment. I have had to adapt and change some of my everyday routines from how I pass out papers to how I dismiss from our floor seats. We are figuring it out together and as we settle into our routine, their personalities are shining through. Getting to know my students as individuals is one of my favorite parts of being a teacher. As I learn about them and they learn about each other, we are becoming a classroom family. They greet me with smiles every morning, are eager to learn, and are beginning to love books as much as I do. Read alouds are quickly turning in to the favorite parts of my day. We have even had some lively discussions already. I love the thinkings of kinders. I can't wait to see the progress we make. I know I will adjust to the larger number of students, but it will take time.
This year I also have a new team. My teammates are two wonderful, goofy ladies and we are quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. They are my curriculum nerd herd. We work well together and are getting really good at dividing and conquering the many tasks associated with all day kinder. I have to admit though, that this change has been bittersweet. This is my third new team in three years. Losing a teammate for one reason or another is hard. If you've never had to experience it, be thankful. People move on, change careers, change buildings - I get it - but it's like having your best friend move away unexpectedly. You keep in touch (thank goodness for Facebook and texting), but it's not the same. I will adjust and lesson plan on, but it will take time.
And so, as I take the time to adjust to the many changes in my life, I'd like to leave you with a few pictures from the first ten days of school...
Wishing everyone a smooth transition into the new school year and for those of you who need it, I wish you the time to adjust!
