Thankful --- For my time at Lee

 Thankful for coworkers and thoughtful gifts.  And gardening, which is kind of a new obsession.

Thankful for homemade flautas.  

Thankful for little boys who are made of frogs, snails, and puppy dog tails.

My very last 2nd grade class.  

This week marks the end of a very significant period of my life.  I just finished my sixth year of teaching.  Five of those years have been at Lee Elementary.  Loving these kids has been my mission whole heartedly for what feels like my entire adult life.  From the picture, you can't tell how many I have struggled to help them read.  Or how many I have struggled to show them they are valuable.  Or how many of them I have struggled to show them I respect them.  Or how many of them have absolutely broken lives.  So much is behind those smiles.  As their teacher, I've had the priviledge of seeing into their souls on a daily basis.  I pray for them daily, tried to show them Christ's love daily (although I failed at that many times), and taught them as rigorously as I could in hopes they will be prepared for 3rd grade.  Looking back, I can think of 1000 ways I could have done my job better.  But I am 1000% grateful for the grace I know covers them and will carry them on to the next phase of life.  God has consistently refined my character through each of the children who have come through my classroom door the past 6 years.  I think the virtue He has refined the most is patience ;)

Next year, I will be moving on to a different school.  One that is close to my house, where Jude can go to Kinder in a couple years.  I have been on the fence about transferring for years, but just could never leave.  This year I realized I needed to seriously consider it because Kinder is approaching.  It was so hard to leave because I love the missional aspect of working at a school that is something like 90% economically disadvantaged.  I love the challenge and truly feel like that's where God called me.  But I also know that God entrusted a wonderful little boy to me and he is my primary mission.  To be honest, this has taken me awhile to accept.  But as Jude is getting older, I realize how much he needs me to be there to teach him and model godliness.  So I am taking on the mission of really putting Jude as the center of my mission.  

My new school is going to be amazing.  The team members I have met are so friendly and collaborative.  My new admin values both strong relationships among colleagues, but also accountability.  It is such a warm, fun yet focused environment.  I'm not kidding when I say I enjoyed the interview.  I feel so blessed to be able to join the team.  And I am beyond excited to be teaching a new grade next year- 1st grade!!!!  I've never taught 1st, but I cannot wait to really dive into word families and just watching kids go from barely reading to just taking off with their reading.  It's going to be so exciting I think!  God is good :)  

My last day as a 2nd grade teacher at Lee.

My fave team members.  We have taught 2nd together for the past 2 years.  And I've grown so much because of them.  1000 gifts!

In closing, God has blessed me greatly through every teacher and every student at Lee Elementary.  I am so thankful for that experience.  And I will continue to pray daily for all the admin, teachers, and students there.  You all have my heart.

But I am excited because I know that God is going to do great things in my life, and especially Jude's life with this new move.  

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To him be the glory forever!

~ Romans 11:36