Marching right along...

School started this past week, and though it has been a bit crazy, we are still convinced that this is all a dream. It's so good to be back with the students and with our old coworkers. Granted, we're quite stressed with all of the responsibilities that a new school year brings, but we are excited.  We know that we're not always going to feel like this, so we want to cherish these moments. 

I (Marta) get to teach 7 twelfth graders whom I taught when they were in tenth grade. It is neat to see how much they've matured. My relationship with these students seems to have picked up right where we left off, which is helpful for when we start tackling biology. I also teach 8 eleventh graders three different subjects: literature, integrated science, and SAT math (in the spring, I will get to teach them another subject to prepare them for the Test Of English as a Foreign Language). And to round out the schedule, I teach 18 tenth graders just a basic English course. I have enjoyed getting to know these new students, though it's a bit challenging to gauge where each one is at... and to temper my word choice.

Daniel has the opportunity to teach English to 56 fifth graders, the same students he taught two years ago. He also gets to teach them PE, along with 61 sixth graders. His birthday just so happened to be the first day of school, and I'm pretty sure the best gift he got that day was to see those 56 smiling faces as they reunited for the first time in over a year.  

There is no other profession quite like teaching. While it may be very stress-inducing, I would argue that it is one of the most rewarding jobs out there. (Now hopefully we just remember that in the times we feel burned out!)