I think I am different from a lot of other teachers cause I didn't always dream of being a teacher. I didn't play "school" and pretend to be the teacher. In fact, whenever I did play "school" my sister would always get to be the teacher and she would always give me "F's" on spelling tests. Nice.
Anyway- I used to dream of being a nurse. (I kinda still would love to be a nurse. If I could teach during the school year and be a nurse on the summer, that would be great! But, I'm sure that will never happen....)
My dreams of becoming a nurse were shattered during my senior year of HS when I had THE WORST chemistry teacher known to man and knew if I couldn't succeed in his class, then I would never succeed in a college chemistry. So I changed my mind...... I would teach.
I had spent the last (3) years teaching dance lessons to kids (kindergarten- 8th grade) and actually enjoyed it and felt like I was good at it. I thought to myself, "I could do this for a career. AND I will have the summers and weekends off..... good deal." Done. Career change.
Best decision I ever made.
So far I have been a teacher for 8 years. Next year will be my 9th and Lord only knows what will be in store! What I have learned in the past 8 years is unbelievable! Below are a list of memories (good and bad and in no particular order) that I have. I can only imagine the amount of memories I have yet to make.....
- I will never forget My first principal, Larry Altenburger, from Allen East Middle School. He was AWESOME and the kindest man I think I have ever worked for. if we ever move back to Ohio I'd LOVE to work for this man again!
- My classroom the first year I taught was BEAUTIFUL! I spend hours and hours and hours and hours getting it ready and decorated it for every holiday! I took so much pride in that room! Unfortunately, as the years go on, I don't spend the time decorating like I did that first year. I should....
- I will never forget the CRAZIEST parent ever! I won't mention names cause "you never know", but I will never forget her name or face or things she did/said to me. Let's just say that the day she came to my apartment, banging on my door, screaming, "I KNOW YOU ARE IN THERE!" was (one of) the scariest times in my life!
- I will never forget making a girl cry once. I chewed her out for not listening to me when I gave directions for an assignment.....and then she informed me that she was in the bathroom when I did the explaining. I felt terrible!
- Being named "Teacher of the Year" (twice) and nominated for "District Teacher of the Year" (twice) is an all-time high!
- I will never forget the people I have worked with over the years! Erin, MaryJo, Lindsey, Dan, Megan, Susan, Gina, Marijane, Jennifer, Whitney, Tracey, Edwina, LeeEddie, Stephanie, Steve, and Nancy all stand out to me.
- Chris Renn and Charlie Mayfield are also past "bosses" that were soooooo good to me. I have been so lucky over the past 8 years to have worked for such sweet, caring, nice, and father-like men.
- I will never forget the HUGE crush I had on a fellow co-worker my 1st year of teaching.
- I will never forget the 1st time I chaperoned a school dance and field trip. I felt so important.
- I will never forget the first awards banquet I presented at. I was so proud of all my kids who received and deserved awards.
- A student once said to me "Can we have a Civil War solider be a guest speaker?"
- I will never forget the 1st funeral I went to for a student. Shane Jones...RIP. Unfortunately, there have been more that followed....
- I will never forget the time I almost set my classroom on fire.
- I will never forget the 1st student to make me cry.
- I will never forget all the lessons that FLOPPED!
- I will never forget getting praised by an administrator for AWESOME test scores!
- I will never forget FINALLY receiving my teaching certificate!
- I will never forget the day a dog jumped in my classroom window!
- I will never forget a student "coming out" to me.
- I will never forget when a student told me I had fat toes.
- I will never forget getting the award for the "best dressed teacher" and also being told by an administrator that I "dressed unprofessional and didn't set a good example".
- I will never forget doing a cartwheel at an assembly and my shoe flying off!
- I will never forget getting "pied" in the face over a dozen times! And how it was SO MUCH FUN!
- I will never forget having my kids make "Civil War Scrapbooks". My all-time favorite project.....that I only did once.
- I will never forget when a student told me to me to email him an assignment and gave me his email address. (it was....mailto:was....masterbaiter2423@yahoo.com. Awkard.)
- I will never forget catching 2 students smoking and the look on their faces!
- I will never forget a girl accusing me of calling her "stupid".
- I will never forget all the tears on the last day of school.....from students and myself!
- I will never forget chaperoning the Senior Class Cruise to the Bahamas.
- I will never forget the 1st time I accidentally said a "bad word" in class.
- I will never forget all the kind notes, cards and letters students have written me over the past 8 years. I have them all saved in a shoebox in my bedroom closet.
- I will never forget the student who gave me a heart shaped necklace for Christmas.
- I will never forget how competitive some kids got during a review game.
- I will never forget when a girl apologized to me for being rude.
- I will never forget getting a card in the mail from a former student.
- I will never forget my 1st coaching experience.
- I will never forget the time I witnessed a parent hit their child in front of me.
- I will never forget the time when a parent got IRATE at me for catching their child with a cell phone in class.
- I will never forget the notes, cards, emails, and letters from parents that remind me of why I am a teacher. (These are also saved in a shoebox in my bedroom closet)
- I will never forget when a student came to school wearing the same outfit as me.
- I will never forget when an administrator called my ideas "stupid".
- I will never forget when a gust of wind blew my dress up over my head on the playground.....in front of students.
- I will never forget crying because if happiness for a student.
- I will never forget crying because of sympathy for a student.
- I will never forget laughing so hard I cried because a student was sincerely funny!
- I will never forget how cool it felt be be called "Miss Ogle" and "Mrs. Rolfes"
- I will never forget how tight a student once hugged me.
- I will never forget praying with a student at their request.
And the list will go on, I'm sure.......
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