School's out for summer....

Three years done! I can't believe that over three years ago I got hired for my first teaching job! These past three years have not gone like I would have expected, but I would not trade the experience for anything! Here is a little recap of what my working life has been like as a teacher...

**April 2006
- graduated with an elementary teaching degree
**April-July 2006
- many, many resumes sent out, many, many rejection letters
**August 2006 (two weeks before school started)
- hired as an RTI parapro
**August 2006 (three days before school started)
- offered a different, very last minute, position - hired as a 1st grade teacher! The most stressful Labor Day weekend of my life...
**March 2007
- notified that due to budget issues, myself and 12 other teachers would be laid off for the next year
**June 2007
- a position opened up - I would be a 1st grade teacher again! (in a different room)
**July-August 2007
- taught summer school
**April 2008
- notified AGAIN that I would be laid off due to budget issues (along with 14 other teachers)
**May 2008
- interviewed in different district
**June 2008
- hired in a different district as a part-time kindergarten teacher!
**August 2008 (2 wks before school starts)
- old district calls up, offers me another temporary job - but ha, ha! I already HAVE a job - and my new district has not had to lay off teachers for the past 20 years - I was very excited to say NO to the old district
**September 2008
- picked up additional hours as an RTI helper in the afternoon for a Y-5's class
**April 2008
- sudden cancer diagnosis of colleague, who I shared a room with, changes my teaching position to full time, took on new class in the afternoon for the remainder of the school year
**June 2008
- still have a job as a kindergarten teacher, not laid off, and VERY excited about being able to continue in this awesome district


This school year was great. I have never felt more supported by administration, parents, volunteers, than I did this year. Example? I took my two classes to the zoo for our field trip and I had 45 students, and 40 chaperones!!!

And the icing on the cake for this year? (Literally!) One of the mom's of one of my students, made me this beautiful cake - that was decorated all Life is Good!! I feel truly blessed!!