I've heard from so many of you who have been dying to find out how things are going at my new school- it's so wonderful to know that there are other teachers out there rooting for me and praying that everything will go well!  We're three weeks into the school year so I've been working a crazy amount of hours recently, but I definitely wanted to take a few minutes this weekend to post an entry here to update everyone.

So....?  I'm actually still in shock over the transfer.  It's like being in a totally different world.  Even though I'm teaching the same grade in the same school district, almost everything is completely different.  The procedures and 'norms' at the school are totally unlike those at my old school, and the curriculum is like night and day.  It has definitely been a culture shock.  I absolutely love it!

The administration truly sets the tone for the entire school.  I feel like we are expected to be professional and to demonstrate excellence in everything, but the support they give us feels unconditional to me.  It’s like I’m being set up for success and if (okay, when) I mess up, administration will just help me get back on track, because they know that I’m doing my best and I genuinely want to do the right things.  They’ve been in my room a lot and have seen me interact with the kids and I feel like they believe in me and want to support me. 

And even beyond the principal and A.P., my co-worked have been amazing.  So many people have gone above and beyond in offering to help me and make sure I have the things and information I need to teach well.  Even the custodial staff has been personable and helpful!  My team leader is really on top of things and has spent endless hours helping me and the other new teachers.  The reading specialist, the tech people… everyone, seriously!  I feel like I have a lot of well-informed people to go to anytime I need something- and I do, all the time!

I do miss my former co-workers.  I just looked and saw that I only posted one blog entry last year (whoops, I’ll have to be better about that!) so I didn’t really tell you, but, I got incredibly close with several people on my team last year.  I was with at least one of them pretty much every evening and all weekend long and we talked on the phone all the time.  It was really hard to leave them, but the friendships are solid enough to be maintained even without seeing one another daily.  So if there’s one thing I could change about my new school, it would be the fact that I feel lonely sometimes because I don’t have really close friends at work anymore.  But I keep telling myself that, a) I’m not at work to socialize (right?), and b) I’m making an effort to get to know people and establish new friendships, and it will come in time.  It has always taken me awhile to establish strong friendships with my colleagues just because teaching is such an isolated situation- we’re all alone in our classrooms with small children all day and have little time to interact with one another.  But I do like the people I work with, and it’s fun getting to know them better.

I really shouldn't say anything about my students and their families since whatever I write will be available for the entire world to read, but I have to tell you that I fell in love with this class the very first day!  I just felt a total connection with them.  And it's not that they're the easiest kids to teach, they're just a great mix of personalities and the energy in the classroom is amazing.  I absolutely love teaching them!  And the families have been great, too- 12 out of 19 showed up to Open House!  The parents are reporting that their kids are happy and enjoying school, so I'm thrilled!

That’s probably enough information for now.  I’d like to post more soon about the way our day is structured and the curriculum changes, which are pretty interesting and totally different from anything I’ve ever seen or done.  

Everything is going well with me outside of school, too.  I’m visiting my parents right now (they live about two hours north of me now- they retired and moved to Florida about a year ago and I’m thrilled to be able to spend so much more time with them than when they were in Maryland!).  I had a lot of fun this summer- went to Key West with my friends, to Virginia to see my extended family, and took two long trips to NYC to visit my boyfriend.  He and I have been together for a year now and things are so wonderful!  Even though we live far away from one another, we’ve been able to spend a good amount of time together, and he’s been an amazing support for me both emotionally and spiritually.  We are both so grateful that God has brought us into one another’s lives!  We believe it is His will for there to be a move sometime in the near future- most likely for him to come to Florida but we are open to anything the Lord has for us.

I really don’t have a desire to move- right now I am just loving my job, more than I have in years, and I love where I live, especially since all the renovations are finished and my bathroom and kitchen are fully-functioning and gorgeous!  Things are really peaceful right now and I’m very content, so I just continue to appreciate every day I have like this, and remember that nothing in life is guaranteed or forever.  I feel so blessed that I have people who care about me, a fulfilling career, and the ability to get out and enjoy everything beautiful that Fort Lauderdale has to offer.  I know all of this sounds really corny, but many of you know that things have not always been this way for me and I don’t take a moment for granted!     

I hope that all of you are off to a great start this school year.  If you’re not, I hope that reading this hasn’t made you feel worse!  I want to encourage you and let you know that things can be better than you ever thought they could be, and to hang in there, because life changes all the time and you never know what incredible things are around the corner!  Even situations that seem like they could never change can turn upside down in an instant.  I know a lot of you are exhausted and frustrated at this time of the year, and that’s really normal for teachers!  I worked from 7-6 almost every day the first two weeks of school and then came home and worked another few hours each evening!  But it gets better and it gets easier.  I plan to add a lot of new resources to the site to help out with that as much as possible.  Please keep emailing and signing the guestbook- I love reading about how all of you are doing! 

Enjoy the fresh start that comes with the beginning of a new school year!   

J Angela