I'm so excited to be a teacher!

In the Summer of '94, I was hired for my first teaching position.  I was so excited I just couldn't stand it!  I was actually going to be a teacher!  I would be paid to work with children and have fun!  I would be a part of their lives and  could impact each student for the rest of their lives!  Woah.....  I just couldn't wait to get started.

Well, I've been teaching every year since.  Five Districts, several different positions, but all of them with young impressionable students.  Some years have been easier than others.  Some students have been more successful than others.  Some parents have been more supportive than others.  But I'm thankful for the opportunities God provided me in each and every one of those positions.

I can honestly say that I'm just as excited about teaching my students tomorrow as I was 23 years ago.  Why, you ask?  Why are you excited?  I'll tell you!

1.  I have a student teacher.  I love the renewal of love for my profession when I meet someone just starting out.  I can tell that she is so excited to "get in there" and work with these kids.  She sees them for the malleable pieces of clay that they are and is excited about helping them reach their potential.  Having her observe me inspires me to the be the best I know how to be.  I owe it to her, my students and my profession to guide her in a way that will help her be the best educator she can be.  I want to give her realistic expectations, with unrealistic goals to reach!  (because sometimes those kids do what I think is impossible if I don't limit them!)  I want to mentor her so that she will be inspired to never stop learning and growing in our field, because I think that is the only way you limit burnout.  Mostly, I want to show her how to not only teach the students, but care about them and get to know them. That is the only way any teacher will every really make a difference in her student's lives.

2.  I just became a Seesaw Ambassador.  I'm so excited to be using this app to connect my students learning at home and school while keeping them accountable for high quality work!  Learning something new and accepting a new challenge keeps my profession fresh and exciting for me.  This new role makes me so excited to be a teacher!  I would love to answer any questions you have about using Seesaw in your classroom via email, text, phone call, face time or in person!  Whether you are brand new to Seesaw or just want to know how to use it more, I'd love to help!  Just start by emailing me at mandamsimmons@katyisd.org and we can work out the best way to work on this together!

3.  I'm excited by the work my peers are doing with their students.  All I have to do is walk down the halls of my school and it is evident that students are excited about the learning going on in their classrooms!  I work with the best teachers I've ever known and planning with this team is always inspiring.  When I work with people that know their standards inside and out and are fluent in the methods that they will use to teach them, I am pushed to do better every day.   I love how much these teachers love their students and the work they do to inspire them.  They make me so excited to be part of this team.

4.  My parents are so supportive this year.  I just can't tell you how far a compliment goes.  "I appreciate all you do for my child.  I see the extra work you put in.  I see that you care about him.  He loves how you make learning fun."  These statements make it ALL worth it!  It is so much easier to work after hours or on the weekends when I hear statements such as these.  I am blessed with a group of the most appreciative parents I have ever had.  I will continue to do all that I can for these people and with a smile!

5.  I was gone for a week to help take care of my mom and I came back to the tightest squeezing hugs from my students that I've ever had.  I had an excellent substitute, and my students had a good week.  However, they made sure I knew that they missed me while I was gone.  They were so sweet and welcoming.  The connection I have made with them makes me so excited to be their teacher!  They are smart, funny, kind and wonderful kids.  I love them.  I'm so excited to watch them grow this year and I hope to see what success they find as adults.

Are you excited about being a teacher?  If so, share why!  It will help others become excited.  If no, then find a way to rekindle the excitement you had when you were new!  Your students deserve it.  :)