One of the things I loved about my class this year was their eagerness to learn. They grew so much academically and socially. I really am going to miss them! We talk a lot about understanding other people's thoughts and emotions when making decisions because sometimes 5th graders aren't the best at that! I thought that for the last few weeks of school, we'd focus on what we're thankful for. We did a "30 Grateful Days" challenge that I created! Each day, we talked about something we're thankful for. The topics ranged from food to memories to friends. I loved seeing their maturity and progress as we did this!
As a last day treat for the kiddos, I made each student a Tagul sheet, similar to Wordle, filled with adjectives that describe them! They turned out so cute! Tagul.com allows you to pick the font, shape, and colors. If a student loves sports, I could make their paper a basketball, and if they love dogs, I could make it into a cute dog! On the last day, we spent about 30 minutes signing everyone's paper. It was great to see the things each child appreciated about their classmates. Of course, when signing, we played a freeze dance type thing where they switched papers when the music stopped. They loved it!
Teachers are lucky. We get to see a group of kids change and grow for throughout the school year. We laugh with them, pray over them, cry for them, and work our butts off to engage them and make them love learning. Then, after that school year is over, we take down our anchor charts, erase all of the names off boards, tuck our supplies away for the summer, and relax for what seems like a week before we get right back into planning the next year. It's the rose and thorn part of the job. I know I'm going to be so sad to watch my kiddos move on up to 6th grade, but there are some big things in store for next year...
I am moving to 2nd grade! I cannot wait to jump into this adventure with a wonderful team, plenty of new challenges, and so many nuggets to call my own! This change was not one that happened quickly. I prayed about it, talked to many different people, and weighed many pros and cons. I have always known that I wanted to teach primary, but I wouldn't change my first two years as a teacher in 5th grade for anything. I worked on a team with 3 amazing teachers that I am so thankful for. Beth, Stephanie, and Ashley all helped me stay afloat in the madness of my first year and encouraged and supported me in this last year. We worked well together and had a whole lot of fun! I will definitely miss working with those rockstar teachers. I'm also really going to miss my first classroom! So many memories in room 63. I laughed, cried, danced, sang, created, and grew among the chevron and polka dot wonderland. Taking the hours of hard work off the walls is no easy feat, but I know there are great things to come in room 37!
When my principal told me that a 2nd grade position opened up, I was overjoyed. It seemed like everything had fallen into place. I would be teaching in a fabulous grade at our wonderful school with a another rockstar team! I know that everything happens for a reason, and I am so thankful for my prayer warriors who continued to pray for me during this time. I know that this next year will be a tough one, but just like Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." I cannot wait for this new season of my teaching life!
Through Faith in Him and the Fifth/Second,
Meg