Must. Keep. Posting.

Did I really just start another blog?

Yes, I did.
Well, I wouldn’t really call it a blog.  It’s more like a virtual photo album of my alter ego:  Miss Julie.

Actually, I’m merely on the sidebar.  It’s all pictures of my adorable little students doing all sorts of things that make up our typical day at school.  It’s pretty amazing to watch these tiny people each day.  I love it.

 

In January it had been 1 year since Zachary started school.  It’s been so much fun to see him enjoy learning so much.  Technically, he’s the Montessori veteran around here.  Braxton and I didn’t start until April, but I’m so glad that we did.  It’s been such a unique learning experience for me and my boys.

 

Last January I was so nervous about starting my semester of student-teaching and having to leave my little boys for so long everyday.  It felt like it was the longest 3 months of my life and yet each day flew by so fast.  There never seemed to be enough time in each day.  Of course, I still feel like that some days.  There were so many nights that I fell asleep sitting on the couch holding my laptop only to wake up (or feel Bob wake me up) around midnight to the slideshow screensaver and drool on my shirt. No lessons planned, no papers graded and only 5 hours of sleep to look forward too anyway even if I still just went straight to bed.  About midway through the semester I resorted to going to bed at the same time the boys would go down (8:30 ish) and then wake up at 2am to get my work done.  That was 6 good hours of sleep and a nice block of uninterrupted time!  I was very productive the last half of my student-teaching semester.  Despite the crazy hours and the crazy 7th graders I taught, my teaching experience was a truly positive experience, and I’m so very thankful for that!

 

Only 1 week after I had submitted my student portfolio, gave myself a good pat on the back for finally finishing school and had promised myself a nice long vacation from everything, I somehow found myself saying, “Yes, I’d love to commit to months of Montessori training to become a teacher at my son’s school!”  Never mind that I am SO done with school.  Never mind that I have a Bachelor’s in Biology and a Teaching Certificate for Secondary Education.  Never mind that I’m completely exhausted.  I’d love to work part-time!  But deep down I think I really did.  It took so much energy to finish school that I felt guilty not planning to do a single thing after all was said and done.  My plans of being a lazy lump felt completely selfish, not to mention thoughtless, useless and pointless.

So the very week I started working was the week Braxton started school too.  The best part is that my boys get to come with me to work every day and I know what a beautiful and peaceful environment they are in all morning.  We aren’t in the same classrooms, but I still get to see them throughout the day and I have a pretty good idea of what they’re up to when I’m not around.