Rough Day

Today is the last day of school, and like every year, it is bittersweet. Today, it feels a little more bitter since it is my last day of school for I am not sure how long. It has been such a great year. It feels so strange and so incredibly sad to say goodbye to my career. As I look back on the last seven years, I can't help but feel unbelieveably grateful. I have worked at two incredible schools, with two incredible principals, colleagues that have become my best friends, and I have always had the best students and parents to work with. I have the best of memories and have made such great friends with so many people. I am excited to stay home with our little girl and be a mom, but I didn't anticipate just how hard it would be say goodbye to this part of my life. I feel like I am losing part of who I am and I can't believe I won't have a set of keys letting me into a school and a classroom. There are so many things I am going to miss:

*Summers of getting organized and ready for a new batch of kiddos--I love the anticipation
*Seeing the back to school sales and getting an excited/nervous pit in my stomach
*The night before school starts nightmares...well, maybe I won't miss those so much, or maybe I'll still get them
*The first month of school. I love training a new group and getting to know the kids!
*Planning and teaching the curriculum. I will especially miss watching the kids learn and get excited about what we are learning.
*The connection you make with students
*Halloween in an elementary school! Crazy day, but I LOVE it!
*Hearing "Mrs. Hunziker" or my favorite, "Hunziker", a hundred times a day from every kid in town
*Feeling part of a team
*Laughing with and playing jokes on colleagues
*Lunch in the faculty room
*The feeling of having grades done and turned in
*Parent/Teacher conferences...I really do like meeting and celebrating with the parents. Plus, I have to say, I really have worked with such positive parents and always enjoy visiting.
*When the long nights of parent/teacher conferences are over--they do tend to be exhausting!
*Looking forward to the breaks--Thanksgiving, Christmas, Summer
*Tracking student growth
*Holidays and theme days
*The always overflowing lost and found
*The funny things the kids say when you least expect
*The way the kids make you feel
*Read aloud...I love watching the expressions and excitement when we read a really good book
*Seeing the coats and backpacks hanging on the coathooks

and so much more...

Jeff has been so sweet and supportive this week, which has really helped out. I know when this little baby comes I will be so happy I stayed home and I know it will be hard, (harder than working) but worth it. This summer I think I am just going to have to focus on getting ready for the baby to keep my mind off of school. So weird...not only will I not be bringing home a paycheck, but I will no longer be known as a teacher.