What goes around comes around...

Dear Ms. Hartwig,

Remember when I was in third grade and I had a favorite teacher whose name was Ms. Reed? Remember? She was soooooo cool!! She had the "IT" factor without even knowing she had it...She made learning fun and she wore such cool clothes. She was so chill. On casual Fridays, she'd wear overalls. And on one of those Fridays, there was in grasshopper in the room and she didn't freak out about it. She didn't kill it either. Instead, she caught it with her BARE hands and then released it to the outdoors where it belonged. I thought - WOW, I really want to be like her!!

And then...well, I'm not sure what the circumstances were (except that you were new to town from Iowa), but you took over. And you were completely different from her. You wore skirt suits. You wore hose. You always wore heels! And...You never DARED to wear a pair of overalls. I hated that! I thought you were too uptight and I thought you wore too much make-up! And I made fun of your hair that didn't seem too move...

Yeah...that was my perspective as a third grader. But now that I'm in your shoes, I just want to say I'm so sorry for giving you hell. I remember the torture I caused you! I remember you asking me to go back to my seat so nicely and my stubborn self decided: I think I'll just stay here...on the floor and I will not move! Remember? I do! You literally had to drag me by the arm to my seat. And I remember the entire class gave you such a difficult time that you had us eat a silent lunch in the classroom with the Assistant Principal standing beside you! There was no escaping! I don't remember when I started to take you seriously, but I do remember I did end up liking you.

I've been thinking a lot about you! I've been wondering if we wore you out so bad that you took naps as soon as you got home? Did you wonder if you were going to make it? Did you talk so horribly about me to your whoever your go-to person was? Did you see any progress in our (okay...MY) behavior? Did your third grade team give you suggestions on how to handle us? I hope I didn't lead you to cynicism.

Thanks for being a brave soul to take a class mid-year. Thanks for having the patience (even if it was just surface level) for me. And thanks for putting me in my place. I really appreciate it...now more than ever.

Your fellow colleague,
Ms. Márquez

P.S. YES...I still wonder about your hair, but I'll cut you some slack because it was the EIGHTIES!

The First Day...2.5 weeks later

So, I started working as a teacher February 10. And, the day before that I was a nervous wreck. Sort of...Okay, I'll be honest and say I had trouble sitting still that day and trouble sleeping that night. Nonetheless, I woke up at the crack of dawn...I got ready for the day and started driving to my first job as a TEACHER!!

I got there an hour early, so I got back into my car in search for breakfast. Once I got back to the school, I went straight to the front office to wait for direction. I waited there for what seemed like an eternity. I was waiting for someone to tell me where to go...

While I waited, a hall monitor came in to talk to the AP about a kid in the hall and while I'm not entirely sure what this hall monitor said, I'm certain the response from the AP was "OH REALLY?!" The AP walked out into the hallway and marched this kid into the office to call this kid's parents to pick him up. He asked this kid to sit down and his response was repetitive: "I AIN'T GONNA SIT DOWN, CAUSE I DON'T WANNA SIT DOWN!" This kid got suspended from school.

I thought to myself, "Wow!! Whoever has this student really has their hands full!"

OH THE IRONY! Welcome, Miss Marquez to your first day of teaching! Meet YOUR first grade student!! You WILL have your hands full!! But we wish you the best! GOOD LUCK!!

I'm still laughing!

HIP HIP HOORAY!!!

(me and the contract!)

I am officially an elementary teacher in the 7th largest district of the United States! My first day is this coming Wednesday! Pray for me because this girl is going to need it!

BUT RIGHT NOW LET'S CELEBRATE BECAUSE THE LORD HAS RESPONDED FAVORABLY TO THE DESIRES OF MY HEART!!!!

I'm feeling a bit like this:

HAHAHA! My cup overflows!