Back in Action!

I’m embarrassed.  I can’t believe that my last blog post was all the way back in September.  When I started this blog, I promised myself that I would blog regularly and wouldn’t be one of those bloggers who gets caught up in life and neglects her blog.  Yet, here I am, with my first blog post in three and a half months.  I apologize to all my faithful readers.  Hopefully, after you’ve read this post, you’ll understand why I’ve been MIA for so long.

Remember this post, back in August, about my very frustrating week? I was ready to give up teaching because of this experience and because of how difficult it is to find a permanent position in Ontario right now.  However, three days after school started, the job was posted again. To make a long story short, I reapplied for it, knowing that my chances were very slim even though the position had already been offered to me a week before. By then, all the contracts and positions had been offered and I was sure that anyone left without a job, who was higher up on the seniority list than me, was going to jump on this posting. I lived every emotion in the book; anger, fear, nervousness, anxiety, excitement.  I didn’t have very high hopes.  For 10 days (the week before the position was posted, and the week when it WAS posted) I was the supply teacher in that room and I bonded with the students.  I loved every minute of it, but I was trying not to get too attached in case I didn’t get the position.  I finally got the call in the middle of a French lesson.  The principal watched my class while I accepted the long term contract.  I’m so incredibly happy and grateful to be working full time this year!

These last four months have been filled with juggling family and work.  I’ve had very little spare time to blog, as I’m sure you understand.  My group of students consists of 14 incredibly busy boys and 7 very quiet girls.  I’ve been doing a lot of community building activities with them to increase their sense of belonging and have been doing a LOT of classroom management.  I’m also lesson planning for a grade 4 and 5, one of which is a new grade to me.  On top of all of that, I am commuting close to 3 hours a day to get to and from work.  Yep!  You read right!  I have a very long commute.  Needless to say, by Friday, I am absolutely exhausted. But, it’s all worth it to me. 

Here it is, my renewed sense of commitment towards you, my readers.  Now that things have somewhat calmed down at school (not to mention the fact that I’m holidays for the next two weeks! Yay!), I commit to blogging a little bit more.  Be ready to read all about the wonderful experiences I’ve been living with my group of 9 and 10 year olds!  In the meantime, I wish you and your loved ones a very happy holiday season!