The Day Finally Came...

Just a few short months ago I thought April 30 would never come. It was the beginning of student teaching and I was terrified. When I walked into Miss Womack's 1st grade class I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Walking into Honey as a teacher was a whole different experience than walking in as a parent. And as a post-bac student I felt like I went into this experience really blind...we weren't afforded many opportunities to visit schools or classrooms since most of the grad classes are at night. So with only faith, hope, and a strong desire to succeed, I began what would be some of the most stressful yet most rewarding moments of my life. I was ready to work hard and prove myself, but what I wasn't prepared for was how much I would come to care for the students...or how much they would come to care for me.

Well, April 30 did arrive (praise the Lord) and it was a bittersweet day. The 1st grade teachers were so sweet and brought lunch in from Fazolis to celebrate. And the last hour of the day my class showered me with teacher stuff, gift cards, and hugs, hugs, hugs! They sent me off with lots of love. One of the best gifts was a book of letters they made me. I waited to read them til I got home so I wouldn't ugly cry in front of the kids.

Those 1st graders made this experience so much more than I ever imagined it would be and I am thankful! But, Oh, how amazing it is to take a deep breath again!