Teaching

"Do you miss teaching?"

I get asked this question a lot. I've only been doing this stay home Mom thing for two years now. Before that I taught sixth grade language arts for eight years. That time for me seems both very distant and yet not that far back. And even though I couldn't imagine doing anything other than being a stay home mom right now, the answer to the aforementioned question is, "Yes."

Yes, I miss the good days of teaching. The days when a lesson just came together, and the kids just got it. The days when I felt "in the zone" and I could tell that lightbulbs were going off for my students. I miss the days when my kids would proudly stand up and read their final poem or short story. Or the days when I somehow managed to make a boring subject like comma usage both exciting and interesting. I also miss the times when my students would give back to me with a hug (yes sixth graders still hug their teachers) or a smile or a sweet note at the top of their spelling test like, "Have a good weekend, Mrs. Galloway!"

On the flip side of this, I do not miss the days when I felt unprepared, frazzled, tired or frustrated. The days when the kids seemed out of control or confused or bored. I don't miss the days when I felt like I was giving 110%, but the students were just not interested. Or the times when I would intercept a note between two students only to discover by reading the note how "mean and unfair" I was.

I know in teaching, as well as in life, there are good days and bad days. And I know the good days outnumber the bad ones by far. So for me, I choose to not let the bad ones ruin my view. Yes, they happen. But they also make me appreciate the good even more.

So will I ever go back to teaching in a classroom full time? Maybe. I can't predict the future, but I will say that it's a definite possibility. But for now, I can say that I am loving the full time job I have. This job that invovles a smaller "classroom"-- two little girls to be exact. And soon a little boy too.