I have been meaning to write a culminating, year-end entry for weeks now, but haven’t had time to just sit down and do it. I can hardly believe that I am already half-way through my holidays this summer! Even though my mind is at peace right now, I do remember the craziness of the end of the school year. I had to finish grading and report cards, and then clean-up and pack-up my classroom. At home I was also packing everything up because I will be moving to a new apartment next year. This was also crazy because I was packing suitcases for North America, my backpack for Thailand and Laos, and then everything else went into boxes. Like many teachers at this time of year, I was also battling a cold and trying to get at least 5 hours of sleep every night. On top of that, just when I thought the craziness was over, I discovered that Helena and I had made a mistake in purchasing our tickets to Thailand. We purchased them for 6:30 am instead of 6:30pm and did not notice until the afternoon when we were planning on flying out. I was literally walking around in circles at my almost-packed apartment trying to figure out what I should do. We eventually just bought new tickets to Thailand and left the next day instead. It was an expensive mistake that I have definitely learned from! It was not until I arrived in Chang Mai Thailand that I felt I could finally take a real breath and be at peace.
After all of the craziness was behind me, I could finally take some time to reflect on the past year. Looking back at my first year of teaching, I can say that it was a great year. There were moments of frustration, tears, and anxiety, but there were even more moments of laughter and joy. It was hard to say goodbye to my students, after seeing them grow all year and having a great connection with them. Since I will not be teaching in the middle school next year, I will not be able to see them in the halls and at activities. I am realizing now that this is what it is going to be like every year. Welcoming a new class, getting to know all the different personalities and learning styles, and then after a year together, letting them go. As hard as it is to say goodbye, it is also exciting to see them grow throughout the year. I am looking forward to meeting my 6th grade students, but I am also nervous about the adjustments and changes that I will have to make being in the Elementary program called PYP. With a new position and a new apartment, this coming year will likely be a fun one!
