Endings and Beginnings

The school year is only two weeks away from being over - and I'm really feeling it this year.  I'm giving away my classroom library to other teachers, preparing to toss or donate posters I've had since my first year of teaching, and facing the reality of being the "new kid" in school in August.  I actually enjoy being the new teacher in school - it gives me the opportunity to start fresh with students who may be already labeled as trouble by the other teachers, and often I manage to establish a good relationship with these "problem kids" simply because I don't seem them as a problem.  We are also getting rid of extra stuff in our house and finishing up paperwork for my husband and the baby.  All this is only a drop in the bucket of the master to do list, but every little bit helps.

I've recently been given an amazing opportunity - a beginning of something I've always wanted to do.  I am now a contributing writer for Teach UAE magazine - a new online magazine dealing with education in the UAE and other Gulf nations.  I've written two articles for them, and am enjoying the chance to write more and share my knowledge with other teachers.  It's a great magazine and I'm honored to be allowed to be a part of the organization.

I'm also getting ready for my summer job - teaching reading for the Institute of Reading Development.  This will be my third year teaching for IRD, and they are a truly professional and passionate company to work for.  I teach reading to students from preschool to adult, emphasizing different skills at each level. Surprisingly, my favorite class to teach over the summer is the pre-reader class, because the parents are an integral part of the class and the activities we do to engage the kids with the books we read are so much fun. I'm glad to be able to work for IRD in the summer - especially this year, when that salary will be put aside in the bank as savings for our start in the UAE.

In family news, everyone is doing well and we're just waiting for the end of school so that the organizing/purging can commence in earnest.  The Facebook page of hopeful EMTs is constantly discussing luggage and meetups and sharing inspirational quotes.  We're all in a holding pattern, but how we hold is different for everyone.