How Lucky Am I?

When I started this blog post, I vowed not to spend too much time talking about teaching.  Sorry.  Teaching is what came upon my thoughts today so it is what I chose to write about.  Did teaching come to my mind because I'm dreading the end of my summer?  Is it because I'm thinking of all the planning that I need to do in order to prepare for the upcoming school year?  Maybe it's because I'm wondering how in the world I'm going to fit a full-time job into my already busy life?  TBH, it is because I was thinking how lucky I am to be amongst those who are blessed enough to call themselves a teacher. 

My journey to becoming a teacher is an interesting one.  I grew up, as most little girls do, playing school with my dolls, cousins, and friends.  Up until the age of 15, if someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always, "a teacher."   But somehow, I got off track and decided to pursue a degree in Business.  It only took a few semesters for me to figure out that the School of Business was NOT the place for me.  It just didn't seem to be a natural fit.  So, I waltzed over to the College of Liberal Arts and changed my major to English.  

I can still hear the supportive, yet hesitant tone in my mother's voice when I informed her that I was changing my major to English.  It's probably similar to the tone that college students hear when they tell their parents that they are majoring in Art or Dance.  Nonetheless, I was determined to get a degree in English, but I was equally determined that I would NOT be a teacher. 

Silly me.  What was I thinking?  How could I not see that teaching is the coolest job ever.  My career has definitely taken the scenic routine to it's current location.  I've worked as a secretary, a teacher, a college instructor, a technical writer, and a proposal coordinator.  I can say with confidence that I have been the most successful as a teacher. 

Teaching is the job in which I feel most comfortable. I love that each school year brings with it a clean slate and a new opportunity for me to get it right.  I'm faced with a new group of students, new ideas, new strategies, and new goals.  I meet new teachers, new students, and new parents.  I work tirelessly to educate students in the content area as well as in character education.  I count the minutes to the end of the day, the days to the end of the week, the weeks to end of the month, and the months to the end of the year.  Then, in the blink of an eye, it's over.  And I get to start all over again! How lucky am I?