Well, I've been eyeing the first grade blogs for a year and a half now. I've finally gotten the courage (and the time) to create my own. I hope this blog can be an expression and a memoir of my teaching career. Which, as of right now, is in its second year. I'm thrilled to be a teacher. I was meant to work with children. I can be in the most horrible of moods, but when the first kids walk in the door... something changes. I walk around the class and I can't believe how truly blessed I am to have each one of those kiddos as my own. Yes, even the two that drive me CRAZY. haha.

As a new career, teaching has its ups and downs. I don't make nearly as much money as my counterparts in the business world, I work my tail off, and if it's raining outside, no breaks! :-) But to have a job that fulfills you... I wouldn't trade it for the world right now. 

I have a set of rules in my classroom. These are rules that my students talk about and agree to in the beginning of the year. I'll talk about the secret to implementing "First Grade Agreements" in a later post. But I also sign it as a commitment to myself and my students.

Let's face it-- these are not just 1st Grade Agreements, but they are life agreements! I remind myself every day of my commitment to be nice to students (even on my last nerve), to ask questions of my colleagues and other professionals (in order to be the best educator possible), to notice when my students are doing great things big and small, and not to give up because I'm faced with the reality of an exhausting and hard job.

If you've made it this far, then thank you! I look forward to sharing my journey with you.