When pigs fly...

I never thought I would say this. Really. I never thought that this moment would ever come in my lifetime.

Teaching fifth graders is actually kind of neat.

Yep. There it is. I said it.

I enjoyed it most of the time during my summer internship at the church. They were fun to teach about Jesus...and they typically ask really interesting questions. But never in a regular educational setting...

When I was accepted into the College of Education, my focus has been on 1st grade. In my undergraduate work, I''ve taught first and second grade reading, second grade after-school programs, and now...fifth grade social studies.

I was terrified when I got the last aforementioned placement. Fifth grade?! They'll eat me alive! I like little kids who are old enough to be potty trained, and young enough to think that everything you say/do is golden! Fifth graders are generally apathetic about school and are so burned out at this point, they've lost their zeal for learning.

But in the last weeks, these kids have broken the mental barriers I had put up about their age. They aren't so bad. They're actually hysterical. I even had lunch with them today, and they were rearranging so that they could sit by me. Their stories were hilarious! And they're so smart most of the time--they just need a little teacher-focusing-them-on-the-task-at-hand sometimes. Ok a lot of the time.

Maybe I would enjoy upper grades more? At this point, my dream job would be becoming a language arts teacher and sharing my passion for grammar. I explained some grammar rules to a group of students as a little side-thought regarding one of their writing prompts, and they actually GOT it. and I daresay they went back to their language arts teacher with what they learned from me. Too cool.

More than ever I can really, REALLY see how my whole life God has been preparing me to become a teacher. Doesn't every little girl say that? Isn't that trite to say? From my bossy-ness as a child (and sometimes now, ha!), to my love of learning, to my perfectionist, we'll-stay-here-until-we-understand tendencies, even to learning how to wash my hands properly in the past couple of years (hello, flu season!) God has molded and shaped me into serving children.

Goodness knows the College of Education here has tried to do a FINE job of scaring me out of this major. I've jumped through one hoop, after another, after another. SO much work. SO much outside of class hours. And I'm still here, standing strong.

I'll fall. A lot. But it's all in the manner in which I pick myself up again.
I'm anxious to see how this all turns out.

(And now, I will stop blogging and work on the lesson plans I have due at midnight.)