8 Weeks Left

These are the last eight weeks of the school year!  I cannot believe how fast time has flown, especially since March Break!  Before you know it, I'll be here whining about report card writing again... uh oh.  I think I might try to start a bit early this year, as in... maybe sometime next week.  I might try to enter marks and a few comments for fully completed units of study (such as science or social studies units that we are completely finished with), leaving literacy and math until later since I like to give the kids the most time possible to demonstrate their skills there.

I'm already eager and excited for NEXT year, haha.  I am so glad I love my job so much.  I'm not even 100% signed on yet for next year, but it MOST LIKELY looks like another LTO (long-term occasional) position at my same school.  I'll possibly have a grade 3/4 split... which would be a brand new adventure for me!

It will be my fifth LTO and my fourth year of teaching.  Let it be very clear, especially if you're just looking to begin a career in teaching... getting a permanent position is VERY CHALLENGING right now.  There is a massive surplus of trained teachers versus the number of available positions.  It's very difficult, and I am thankful every day for my LTO position.  Permanent will come one day, I'm trying not to let myself get too psyched up or upset over not being hired permanently yet.  At least I've been consistently working full-time, and even in the same school.  That's very, very fortunate in the education world right now.

I've absolutely loved my class this year.  I'll be sad to see the school year come to an end!  We still have lots of fun and exciting things to do, though, so I'm just going to try to focus on enjoying that rather than getting down on how fast time is speeding by.  I know some people are eager for summer break, and I do love my summer, but I certainly love my job more and will be one of the minority who would be happy if these last eight weeks slowed down a bit.

Sigh!  I just hope my class next year is as great as this current group!  I should be able to have a hand in planning the grade 3 classes, including my own, considering I'll be following the current grade twos into the next grade (um, for the third time in a row, as I taught grade one last year, now grade two, and next year a three/four!).  At least I'll still be in these kids lives somehow, by working at the same school and being in the same grade in general (even if I don't have any of the same kids in my class come September).

I'm just so proud of them, I hope they'll have fond memories of me for years to come the way I certainly will of them.  I've only been teaching for three years, and already feel as though I've been making a difference for  these kids.  I cannot imagine what will happen over the entire duration of this career!