While my daughter and son aren't thrilled, I am very excited about heading back to school.
Pretty soon we'll be engrossed in Books of the Month, deliberating over our next writing piece and developing strategies that will sharpen our operations and algebraic thinking skills.
Expanding our minds used to be so mundane, rote, and less than fulfilling, but now - with the push towards collaborative learning, higher level thinking skills, and concrete examples, we can truly feel the reality of what we're learning.
I've only been teaching for eight years, so the newness has not worn off quite yet. I've taught kindergarten, first, second and third grades. I have worked with students challenged by emotional and behavioral challenges, children on the autism spectrum, and kids that are labeled developmentally delayed. Through learning about all of the amazing differences in the minds and bodies of these children I have discovered that I can make a difference.
Not one child was left behind, each one learned, each one experienced joy and a feeling of accomplishment. They grew... and so did I.
I am so very thankful that I've had the opportunity to work with such amazing kids and I'm looking very forward to a new, exciting school year full of challenges and days that will never be mundane.

I'm touching on a book that features a teacher that works with children with special needs. I will keep many of my personal cherished moments close to my heart, but some will surely make it into the book. I hope the writing will display the act of teaching  in a positive light and show that it is an important job for those few teachers filled with love for these kids.