The Final Three

Last week I reached a milestone in first year teaching: March Break. I think I am as surprised as anyone else at this. I have been walking on eggshells all school year wondering if I was going to have the kind of year the previous teacher of my class had. I haven't yet (knock on wood and all that), and now the final three months of the year are ahead of me. I imagine that at the end of the year I will write a blog post about the year, its ups and downs, what I learned (and didn't learn), how great my students were, and so on, but right now, with my desk cluttered with this week's plans and materials all I can think about is 1) where did all the time go?, 2) how much work I still have to accomplish and 3) where am I going to find the energy to do it all?

I am encouraged by my amazing spouse who has been mentoring me through thick and thin this year. I don't quite know how she does the teaching thing with such passion (especially after 13 years), though I now have more insights into what makes her such a great teacher. I only hope that one day I can be as great and inspiring a teacher as she is today.