8th Grade

When I tell people that I am teaching 8th grade... most cringe, look at me like I'm crazy, and say something along the lines of, "There is no way I could do that...

why in the world would YOU do that?"

The funny thing is... for about 3 years... I thought the same thing.

Why do I want to do this? Why do I want to teach awkward, annoying, rude, kids who think they are older than they are--think they know everything--and don't want anything to do with authority... much less me?

And on top of that, I hated middle school. I mean HATED it.

To this day... almost 8 years out... I get a sick feeling just walking into the building.

In fact, at first glance, the only memories I have are insecurities, weird emotions I didn't know what do do with, drama with girls I'm not friends with anymore, and constantly feeling like the new girl who didn't go to elementary school with everyone else.

Add old, grumpy, boring teachers, teaching subjects we didn't care about and you have yourself a solid four years of "when is this gonna end" mindset.

So again... Why am I set on teaching middle school kids?

Honestly?

I think the fact that I hated it so much makes me want to teach it more...

(Yeah...It doesn't make much sense to me either)

But this is what I do know... I come home everyday with stories about my kids... things they said, things they did... I could talk to anyone for hours about everything I know, everything I have learned... every story, every everything I know about teaching, about education... it really could go on and on and on...

So when I realized that I want to talk about it all the time (but for the sake of my friends, hold back quite a bit) I thought... what else do I want to talk about all the time?

My faith. My family. My friends. My school.

Everything I love.

I could talk about teaching all day, everyday because I love it.

I love these kids... as awkward and messed up and crazy as some of them are... I love them.

And the thing about it is, this phase will pass. They will grow up into the people they are starting to become. They will change and grow and learn. I did. We all did.

And the only thing any of us needed in middle school was someone to care. Someone to love us. Someone to believe that we wouldn't be this awkward and miserable for the rest of our lives. Some of us were lucky enough to get a teacher like that... I was.

And all the time, I catch myself thinking "If Mrs. Johnson could get me to want to do well in math... (which is still hard to believe) Maybe, just maybe, I can get this kid interested in history... or literature...or ANYTHING..."

Last August I prayed to God and said "Lord, this is it. I am either going to fall in love with teaching... or I am going to want to run the other direction. I need you to please make me ready for either situation... because I know either way it is going to hit me in the face."

Well it did... and I feel so lucky. So blessed.

It is going to be hard. It will challenge me in so many ways... but it will teach me even more.

Now... will someone hire me? Please?

xoxo Katie