Welcome to My World

Well, we've finally arrived at the last week of the school year.

I could use this time to post about how excited I am to finally have some free time on my hands. And I could go on and on and on about how nice it will be to sleep in and lay by the pool and actually talk to my girlfriends again.

But I won't. At least, not yet.

I thought I might give you all a glimpse into my world and let you in on what I've been doing for the last nine months. I've taken my camera to school the past couple of weeks so I could document my days at work, both teaching computer and aiding the kindergarten and first grade classes. First up, computer.

On Tuesday's and Thursday's, this has been my home away from home:

It's our school computer lab and the place where I have imparted my technological wisdom on the young, eager minds set before me. (I couldn't even type that with a straight face.)

It is at these stations that I taught first graders words like "Font" and "Clip Art". Where second graders learned their home row keys and third graders mastered the art of the internet scavenger hunt. It's where fourth graders were introduced to PowerPoint and fifth graders graphed M&M's using an Excel Speadsheet.

And it's where I became an actual teacher.

The thought of teaching anything to anybody would have never even occured to me a little over a year ago. And truthfully, when I took this job I wasn't at all sure I'd pull it off. It was shaky at first given that I have No Idea what I was doing, but eventually I got the hang of it. I got a handle on what the students could do and how I could help them do more. We figured it out and lo and behold, they learned things!

Let me be clear. That had nothing to do with me and certainly nothing to do with my vast computer knowledge. It was all God. His wisdom. His grace. His mercy. It had to be, because this job was His idea. And I never let Him forget it.

In the beginning, the scariest thing for me was the "teaching" part of the job. As time went on, the scariest part became the "teacher" part of the job. It didn't take long to realize these kids were watching me, studying me and sometimes testing me. A few of them got the better of me but all of them stole me heart in one way or another.

There were a few in particular that started off the year being the ones I dreaded to see coming. This past week as I taught their last classes of the year, they were the ones I hated to see walking away. And I'll admit, I got a little teary-eyed when the graduating fifth graders gathered around me and all asked for a hug before they left the room.

When I was hired for this job I thought the biggest blessings to come would be a steady paycheck and being close to my daughter, and they were huge blessings indeed. But there were others I never expected. Like Abby saying mine was her favorite class. Or Josh's mom thanking me for teaching him PowerPoint because he used it to make a "Why I Love My Mom" presentation for her. Or hearing that the first grade always clapped and cheered when they heard it was time for computer. Or Kinley making me my first ever "Teacher Appreciation" card. Or Paisley using Word Art to type "Mrs. Wood is the Best Computer Teacher Ever!" for me before she left on Thursday. (For my friends who know that story, you know this wasn't just a blessing but a miracle.)

It was a great first year but the truth is I still don't feel like a teacher. But I'm learning.