They call me "Miss Jenn"

"They" are the students and today I was the teacher, a substitute teacher, but a teacher nonetheless. I can't even begin to explain the feeling I get when I stand in front of the children and try to teach them. I actually watched little pre-schoolers learn. It's every bit as satisfying as I imagined.

On Thursday afternoon I received confirmation of my Substitute Teacher Certification for the local school county. On Thursday night I received a call from the school I work at to be a sub in a Pre-K classroom for Friday! Not only does this mean I have a great feeling of pressure released from the tightness of my budget lately, but that I can clock 7 more hours of classroom experience THAT I LOVED! I knew a couple of the kids from extended-day already, and the rest I got to know quickly. The classroom feels so natural for me. In a Pre-K classroom there is almost always a teacher and an assistant. The teacher was out for the day in this particular classroom, so the assistant led the class and I assisted her. There wasn't a ton of stuff for me to do, but I was definitely picked up better classroom management skills and had great exposure to a wonderful teacher who really knows how to interact with the children.

We moved from one activity to the next smoothly. The kids really seemed to enjoy me being in their classroom and the teacher even said at the end of the day, "Now, I want you in my classroom all the time!" Knowing how comfortable I felt in the classroom and how much I enjoyed being with the kids makes it all the more satisfying to be working toward my masters in Early Childhood Education.

I am so happy to be able to substitute teach now. I'm anxious to get into different grade levels and experience those classrooms. I'm excited for the extra income. I'm excited to work with the kids and develop my teaching skills. I'm excited that things are falling together, on God's time and not mine, at last. I'm thankful that I am so blessed with support from my friends and family.