Getting in the Groove

No, I'm not dancing.... I'm in that transition period I go through every semester when school ends and "break" begins. I put break in quotes because it's never actually a break so much as a shift of focus. I'm no longer focusing so much on homework and grades (ha, like I was actually doing that to begin with) but on working as much as I can to make some money to pay to go to school. Ahh, it's a vicious cycle.

But this summer is going to be different. I'm having my first teaching experience. I've been given the title of Cubs 4 Summer Camp teacher. This means I'm in charge (along with my assistant) of approximately 10-15 four year olds for 9 hours every day of the week.

This is a totally new experience for me. Well, not totally, but that sounds a little more daunting, right? I've worked in classrooms with these kids quite a bit before, but I've never actually had them as MY students. Big difference. It's also kind of strange. I've been going to school for three years to become a teacher. I've learned how to run a classroom, classroom management techniques, etc. But now, I'm actually putting into practice all of these techniques I've learned. And, quite frankly, I really don't think about those techniques I "learned" when I'm actually in the classroom. I'm winging it and constantly taking note in the back of my head of what I need to do to make tomorrow run smoother.

The best part? I love it! It's definitely not what I've planned on. I'm getting a degree in elementary education and middle school math education, not early childhood. The funny thing is, early childhood was my first choice! Except some crazy advisor at Lindenwood decided that I wouldn't like it and steered me in the other direction. At this point, I'm not sure what God has in store for my future, but right now if teaching fresh, young minds is part of it, I think I'd be pretty happy.

Maybe I should knock on some wood though. I mean it is only the first week of school. I just pray that whatever God's plan is for my life, it happens. For now, I'm going to enjoy some funny experiences with four year olds. They have such innocence. I'm sure I'll be sharing plenty of stories!

So, I'm going to spend the next week and a half getting in the groove of things only to switch gears again to get married! That's right! I'm getting married in 16 days! I'm so ready!