Conference Day

I can’t shake the feeling that I’m not old enough for this job. For the first time in my professional career I am not the youngest or least experienced. But I don’t feel any different. My Mitchell experience is a blur–  But I do remember my first inservice in Bering Straits… Rick Holt stood in front of all the teachers in the district with such ease – clearly an incredible educator – and left me wondering if I would measure up to the quality that would be demanded. Fast forward to the times of drinking coffee with his wife in my jammies, after a night of learning about the “baked ziti pot” on their wood stove, and realizing that we’re all just humans – each capable of extraordinary things.

I’m a firm believer that a job should be only part of your life – that it should never define you. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in work. Sometimes I worry that I will lose myself to this job. There is a need for balance between personal and professional life.

And so, while I sit here between conferences, taking in my classroom, and thinking about the students and parents I’ve already met today, I’m overwhelmed – in the best of ways. I can’t wait to get to know my students. I am thankful to be employed in a beautiful place with incredible people. I am excited to know that trips home can be more frequent. And I want this job to help me grow both as a teacher and as a human being.