As many of you may know, teaching elementary school was not in my plans. The thought of decorating a classroom alone scared me, and then to think I am teaching many students who don't know how to read or write.....it was a bit of a mental shift from 7th grade. When it came time for me to start decorating I really didn't know where to start, I couldn't even remember the last time I was in a first grade classroom. Then there is Pinterest. Which can always be a help or a curse. It gave me a lot of good ideas, but also stressed me out.
Here is what I started with. Before:
After:
Also this all basically happened in 3-4 days (we had orientation all day, everyday which gave me limited time to pull this together). I am really happy with how it turned out and I am excited to see it become more personalized to my students as the year goes on.
Open house was this past Tuesday night & I got to meet all my little first graders!
At my desk! I still need to decorate this area....wasn't first on the priority list!
& then Wednesday came and I began my journey as a first grade teacher!
My roommates, Victoria and Taylor, and I on the first day!
Here are some pictures from my week!
One of my students lost a tooth on Thursday and then another on Friday. Welcome to First Grade!
She was determined to pull them both out. I asked her if she could wait because Miss. Perisho wasn't a fan of bloody teeth, it didn't work:(.
On another note, the Lord has been so good to me these last few weeks, because frankly I was super intimidated and fearful by this whole teaching first grade thing. Prior to starting, I specifically and diligently prayed for a calmness of spirit and an excitement. Today I can praise the faithfulness of my Father in giving me those two things. Not to say that this week was a walk in the park, but even amidst the chaos, confusion, criticism and stress of the last three days, I can end the week standing on the belief that in seeking Him, He will give me the tools to do my job well. I don't have a wealth of knowledge, or prior experience, but I serve a God who does not place us in positions to let us fend for ourselves. Within that truth, I feel a covering of confidence that I walk with Jesus in this. Not alone. Not on my own strength. Not on my own knowledge. But with a faithful Savior. He has placed me in the position I am in for a purpose, even if I can't see the whole picture, I know He will reveal it to me in time. The beauty in that is He doesn't seek for us to understand, but to trust that His plans are always better than our own.
Also, here's a bonus picture of me in first grade:
