A restful weekend

It's so hard to believe, but my first year of teaching is winding down. We have three weeks left. I can not even begin to explain how much I'm going to miss these kids. Teaching has been the most stressful, crazy, pressure-filled job that I've ever done and, besides raising my own children, I believe that I ever will do. I've been teaching full time (usually 50+ hours per week) and going to grad school- all the while wondering if I'd have a job for next year because of budget cuts.

I haven't had a day in the past 4 months where my heart hasn't raced at the thought of their achievement, a week where I haven't dreamed about testing, a night where I haven't went to sleep praying for all 86 of my babies, or a morning where I've questioned myself and my ability to teach and do it well. It's been a crazy year.

This weekend, for the first time since Christmas break- I can rest easy. I finished grad school and don't start again until early June, we have test scores back (and praise God they are great!), and I know that I have a job next year. Jesus blessed this school year! I'm amazed at all He has done in my classroom.

It's so hard to think about when we first moved here and I was looking for a job. Person after person told me that I would never want to teach in CMS- it was too rough. On this side of the blessing, I can say that I am thrilled to teach in CMS and adore each of my kids, no matter how "rough" (whatever that means) they are . I'd teach here for 29 more years if that's what I'm supposed to do and wouldn't think twice about it. I'm so blessed to have been placed in Charlotte by the Lord. I'm a better person because of it. I went in thinking I'd change my students (and I still hope that I did), but they changed me.

Now, on to my long-awaited rest...
The best is yet to come.