Hello, friends! I know I've been away from this space long enough when I've completely forgotten my login password to the site, leaving me to authenticate my identity with a text, a call, and my name signed in blood. I know it doesn't seem like it, but I've been thinking of you all frequently. After that last life post and life update, I was so moved by the outpouring of support. Truly. I'm terrible at expressing gratitude, but please know that every single text, hug, offer of prayer, or funny meme boosted my inner battery and injected liquid courage into my veins. I'll write more on IVF later, but for now, I'm sending an enormous virtual hug to you all.
Since it's been such a long time, I think I should start with the biggest change - I'm back in the classroom! After a year away, the Teacher itch was hard to ignore and I landed a job that has quickly become one of the best yet most challenging positions ever - a preschool teacher. My students are two years old...and some are barely two.
Two! It blows my mind when I think about it too hard. Only two years ago, all my students were still in their mama's bellies and floating around in a prenatal swimming pool. And now they're here, tottering into the classroom, ready to learn how to do school. It's the youngest age group I've ever encountered in my entire teaching experience, and after our first days of school, I can tell you that these toddlers have positively trampled my eighteen years of experience under their tiny feet. If you're imagining diapers, you're right. If you're imagining toys and tears, you're also right. But it's also magical to watch small children try and acclimate to a whole new world.
For example, here's a summary of our circle time in our classroom today -
Teacher: I have something to show you. (Pulls out brightly colored ball. Lots of gasps and oohs all around.) This is called a -
George: Mine! That's mine!
Teacher: George, it's my turn to speak. This is our -
George: Mine! Mine! Pwease. (Holds out his hand, which makes all the other kids clamor and hold out their hands too).
Teacher: Not yet. Every one will get a chance. Sit on your bottoms, please! Now this is called our sharing ball -
Nola: Why is it called a sharing ball?
Teacher: - and we're all going to take turns passing it around our circle.
Fifi: When is snack?
Conway: (Points to his lap, where a dark, wet puddle has formed.) Uh oh!
I know it sounds rough, but just think about how long it took you to learn how to wait for someone to finish talking before adding your voice. Or sharing your toys with strangers. Or using the toilet in an unfamiliar space. Given it's only their third day of school ever-in-their-life, I'd say we're still winning.
Our school is known in the Atlanta area for developing pre-literacy skills, even in the preschool grades. Part of that involves using big words around little people because they're always absorbing new vocabulary and laying down millions of neuron pathways to construct what our director refers to as their 'deep reading brains'. So it's not uncommon to come across a conversation like this one from yesterday morning.
Kindergartener: Why are all these adults here?
Teacher: They're here for a conference at our school.
Kindergartener: Oh. (Pause) What's a confence?
Teacher: A conference is when one adult has a lot of knowledge about something, so they talk about it and share what they know with other adults. And then they talk about it with each other.
Kindergartener: Oh okay. I guess confence is where adults talk a lot.
(She's not wrong.)
It's a fun, often funny, and wonderful privilege, getting to watch these little ones learn and grow. It's only been our first week of school, but our classroom is already rife with stories that I'm hoping to share more regularly. Until next time!
