breathing....

i think my WHOLE nose is above water now...and not just my 2 nostrils.
it's a slow process....and quite the learning curve.
lots of buzz words i'm learning.
and acronyms.
and test names.
i'm working on figuring out what are MUSTS and what are CHOICES.
i did an activity today that i created on my own. it wasn't from the text book.
sounds so silly and like such a small thing. but it's a big deal.
i am just trying to learn what is allowed.
i do NOT want to short these kids on a good education. on the skills needed to pass required tests.
i don't want to send them to middle school without the proper tools to survive.
i'm not fulling trusting my own abilities yet and for some reason i think McGraw Hill is way smarter than me. :) so i've been depending on him (or her...i'm not sure WHO McGraw Hill is!) to get me through my lessons. which in turn makes my classroom look a little different than i want it to look in say a month.
but my confidence in myself is growing bit by bit.
and i'm breathing a teeny tiny bit easier.
it's just such a gigantic responsibility and i take it very seriously.
parents are counting on me.
kids are counting on me.
yikes.
sometimes it feels like too much pressure.
but i'm still loving it. and slowing figuring it all out.
and gosh...i love these kids more every day.
they are awesome. i think it's so great that i get this amazing class as my first classroom ever. i'll remember them always and i hope they feel the same.

now that i have caught a breath...i better go tackle the laundry.
wowser.
not pretty.
happy wednesday!!