It's Been a Long Time Coming!!!

I AM OFFICIALLY A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER!!!!

On Monday, June 18th I interviewed for a Kindergarten position in a school district about three hours south of where we currently live. I left the interview feeling amazing and telling myself that THIS is where I want to work and if I didn't get this job I was going to be crushed! Less than 24 hours later, the principal of the school was calling me to tell me that he was putting my paperwork into the HR department and that he'd like to offer me the position! I couldn't be more excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Being in that school just felt right and on my three hour drive back I was picturing myself in their building as a teacher. I'm not going to lie, I've just about pictured myself in every building after I left, just to see how it felt, but there was something about this one....I just wanted it more.

After graduating two years ago and spending the last two years applying for 100s of jobs in many different states, and being a teaching assistant for two years, my time has finally come. I don't have a lot of details just yet, but I do know that I will be teaching Kindergarten, full day, in a pretty awesome elementary school with amazing staff. I do know the first day of school (which will be a full day - yikes!) is Monday, August 20th and the week prior will be New Teacher Orientation and Institute Days.

I can't wait to start going through my boxes labeled 'teaching stuff' that have just been sitting in our basement collecting dust. I can't wait to get a new teacher wardrobe! I can't wait to get in my classroom to organize and decorate --- don't worry, I'll be posting plenty of pictures! After my interview on Monday, I did get a tour of the school and I was able to see my classroom, which of course made me want the position even more. I was already giving myself ideas on my drive home Monday night. Now, I've finally got a Pinterest account and I can make those ideas into a reality for my classroom! :-) I do know that I will have lots of bulletin board space, chalk boards (hopefully stores still sell chalk ;)) and a Promethean Board.

That means that this summer Tim, Archie (our cat) and I will have to pack up and find a new place to live. I'm really excited to be starting a new chapter in our lives, but I am extremely sad to leave all of the wonderful people that I've worked/taught with for the past two years, plus all of our friends in the area. We will be much closer to almost all of Tim's family which I'm very excited about, and now we'll be making trips up north to see all of my family when the time comes.

It's going to be a crazy-busy summer with being an assistant in special education summer school and now getting prepared for my new job, and moving three hours away, but I couldn't be more excited with the way things are turning out. I guess it's true: Good things come to those who wait... (But if you told me that a week ago, I would have rolled my eyes as I was applying for more jobs.)