Northerner in New England

For once, the name of this blog is not so accurate -- home for the holidays! I'm packing up all the things I brought home: books to plan my next unit, tests to grade, homework to track, and clothes that needed to be fixed. I'm also packing up the Mommy care package of cough drops and related medications. All I can say is that there is nothing that compares to being taken care of by an empty-nester parent when sick.

Although it's a few days late, it's the requisite "what I'm thankful for" entry. In this first year out of college and in a sense, "on my own", I have dozens of reasons to be thankful.

This year, I am thankful for

• my roommates, who put up with my stress induced sloppiness and tendency to overshare random mundane details. Also, for indulging me in teacher talk, even when we're all first year teachers and spend all day with the small children. 
• My unofficial TFA mentors -- Ms. C and Ms. S. Their help and support throughout the process and since I've started teaching have helped to keep my focus realistic and productive
• my co-workers, who have been supportive of the emotional challenges of being a first year teacher
• in particular, my TFA co-workers, who understand the challenges and successes I feel every day at school and the balancing act of work and TFA
• my TFA region -- while I'm sure that there are strengths and challenges in each region, I keep feeling like there's a reason I ended up in Nashville, even if it appeared random and even if I choose not to stay here. 
• my students, for making me smile when they
• fart so loudly and profusely that even I can't help but laugh
• are shocked that I'm introducing something new -- "But Ms. Astronaut, we didn't learn that in 3rd grade!"
• ask if they have to complete the homework
• ask for help on a test. When I ask with what, they ask for the answer. 
• leave love notes for me on their work
• look panicked when they hear that I'm going out of town, even if it's  only for the Thanksgiving holiday

And finally, my amazing and wonderful family. For my brother, who came and helped in my classroom. For my father, for saying all the wildly inappropriate things I wish I could even let myself think. For my mother, who has been a constant source of well everything since graduation. I've been so incredibly fortunate to have a family that's worked in education and understands what I've been going through to some extent.

With that, I'm off to back to return to the South. Only a few weeks until I'm back here.