it's beginning again

Do you remember what I was doing this time last year? I just met the teacher I would student teach under, I spent my first day back in a high school after four years in college and I had just finished working at the theme park. This year is so different from the last! So much has changed and I can't believe I'm here - you know, almost 23 and about to work full time as an art teacher.

This all happened so fast. I student taught which led to a library aide position which led to full time art teaching all at the same school and with awesome people. Today was my first official day back in the halls where I will start teaching next week. I was in my classroom moving tables and tearing down butcher paper on bulletin boards.

Last year I was looking a lot towards my mentor teacher - what to do on each day, where does this thing go, what should I do with this? And now I'm the one charge. I get to make the decisions. I get to say what goes where. It's a little bit scary, all that power.

I am ready for school to start in that I'm excited for the year and to meet my students and to make awesome art projects. I am not ready for school to start in that I still have some rearranging and lesson planning and room decorating to do. I'm really excited mixed with a little bit of a ball of nerves. This is my big girl job. This is the job that comes with a 401k and life insurance. A salary and sick days. What am I? An adult or something? Weird.

And as I am up here preparing to deal with teenagers full of attitude, my friends are down south starting their first week of classes at the university. Honestly, I am a little jealous. I really enjoyed college - the atmosphere, the classes, the way professors treated you more like adults and just expected you to do stuff without holding your hand, the freedom and independence that come with living out of the house. I just keep reminding myself that soon they will all graduate and get real jobs and work all the time and I will still have summers off. And it will be glorious.

Mostly, I suppose, I just can't believe that I'm here. That I'm a real teacher. That I have a real classroom and real lessons and real students. It seems like yesterday I was a little 16 year old girl who didn't know what she wanted in life and now not only do I have a full time job, but it's even in the field in which I graduated. How often does that happen? I mean really. God provides for His children in ways we cannot imagine.

Summer has been crazy and wild and not at all what I expected and I'm pretty sure that fall will be the same way. This 2013 year hasn't ever been what I had thought it would be - always showing me things I didn't think could happen or would happen but did. 2013 has been the year of surprises so far, both good and bad but I think that just makes me more excited for what's to come. Bring on the new school year!