So here you see me, my crazy roommate, and of course my class. We're walking down the streets of Chicago on our way to the next stop of the field trip, a boat tour of the river and lake. My kids are obviously taking in as much as they can as we sprint down the sidewalk, trying not to run over other people passing by. For so many of my kids, I know this is a new experience, providing them with a new perspective. And I feel that I too have received a new perspective.
I'm almost done! I'm so close to being done with my first year of teaching. As it's coming to a close, I look back, and I see that behind me are memories, learning experiences, and people I will never forget. This year has not only been one of the most challenging, but one of the most rewarding years as well. I know that I can feel proud that I have done something that I formerly had feared. I challenged myself, and came out alright in the end. This is not to say that there won't be more challenges this next year. The Lord knows there will be! What with the portfolio I get to do, a new class to get to know, and come alongside to help them reach the goals laid out before them as sixth graders, not to mention the relationships outside of the classroom that will need to be continually nurtured!
This upcoming year I hope to see myself establishing myself more as a teacher. I hope to see friendships grow and new ones take root. I hope that I will know where to go from this point next year and that God will do a number on my heart. Some big things are going to happen this next year, that is for certain, but what I cannot say. I can only let my imagination wander through the various possibilities that my mind allows, and I keep my heart open to what God's imagination has already plotted out for my life.
