I Love My Job

As the song says, "Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start......"
When I was growing up I was surrounded by educators. My granddaddy was a principal/superintendent, my grandmother taught Spanish for a while, and my mom was/is a teacher. I think for the first few years of my life I thought that there were only two things you did in the world. Teach and work in the oil field. (Guess where my daddy worked?) Anyway, as I proceeded to get older, I heard people constantly tell me that I was going to be just like the rest of the family and be a teacher.
If you know even remotely know something about me, it is this. I do not like people telling me what I will and won't do with my life. So like the good rebellious child that I was, I turned my back on the education world. There was no way, no how that I was going to be a teacher. I did tell several people that I was going to work with kids but in my brain, I was going to be a counselor who made kids better mentally. I taught day care kids during the summer time and really liked it but I was not going to be a teacher.
I majored in Psychology/Social Work and interned to become a juvenile probation officer. I had a job lined up for when I graduated and I thought I was set to go. Unfortunately, the day I graduated college I was told that I didn't have the right degree and no job. Well. I floundered around for a while and after a bit I ended up substituting at Grandview and Maypearl. I found that I liked the different levels I got to teach at. Not long after I got married, I went to work at Grandview as an aide. (My hat is off to those people who do that job. Without them I think the school might fall down.) I knew I wanted to do something with my degree and eventually I was hired on at Presbyterian Children's Home in Itasca. I really did like my job there. I learned how to take extensive notes, discovered my obsession with forms, and worked with kids who needed help. After 5 years though, I was ready to stay home with my own kids and be a mom. Now at this point I need to say that I had not held a job more than 5 years. I tend to get bored and want a change of scenery, challenge, whatever you want to call it.
That went well for a while even though we were broke beyond broke. Finally, God decided He was done with my plan and it was time for Him to step in. Barbara Truby called one day and offered me a job. I prayed about, talked it over with Jeff and accepted a teaching position that was suppose to last one year. The minute school was out and I thought about looking for a job, Barbara called again but this time with the name of a certification program. I was hooked. I went in to talk with the people and within a year was certified to teach.
That first teaching job was 10 years ago. I thought about that today. I have held this job for 10 years. I haven't taught the same grade level or subject over the last 10 years. I have taught 1st grade, 4th grade, 6th grade, and special ed. I have learned that I am not cut out for the little guys and that I love the underdogs.
I love my job. I love being able to label everything, playing games with the kids, finding that right thing that makes a kid have a light bulb moment. I know that a lot of teachers say they never see the fruits of their labor until many years later but I know I have made a difference when the kids actually "get" what I am teaching or when they walk out of class talking about what I taught that day.
Darn it!!! All those people who told me that I would be a teacher when I grew up knew what they were talking about. Actually, I am kind of glad otherwise I would think I was just born to be bossy and in charge all the time.