Happy Camper

I talk about my job a lot. Kind of the point of this whole thing. Also, I really love it. Also, it's a big part of my life. I have been blessed to be called to be a teacher in life and I thank God that He has placed me in this vocation. I try to pinpoint exactly why I love this job so much and I came up with this--a list of 5 reasons. This is the most pinpointed I could get! 

1. I get to be myself
            I take teaching very seriously and I work hard to provide these kids with an excellent education. Not only are their parents paying for it, it is my responsibility as a teacher. That being said, I am also blessed to be at a job where I can completely be myself. Myself is a crazy, weird, quirky, loud, and jazzed about life person. My kids tell me "You're weird Miss Ongna, in a good way!" I'll take it :)

2. Books, books, and more books!
            I LOVE reading and it is so exciting for me to help kids further learn to read. I've said before and I've said to many people that one of my favorite parts of this job is helping kids discover books and get excited about reading! I think I scared a 4th grader this past week when I spotted him reading a book I've been wanting to read for a while and I yelled out of excitement! The best part? By lunch he had finished it and handed it to me to borrow. Sweetest kid ever! And no, I am not ashamed to say I am borrowing a book from a 4th grader.
 (The book is "Wonderstruck" by Brian Selznick, if you were wondering)

3. Speaking 8 year old fluently.
              Kids say the most fantastic things. I get to hear a lot of it and participate! It is exciting to be able to have a conversation with a student about something they are excited about or passionate about. It is also equally exciting when I share something about me or going on in my life and they remember and ask me about it! Kids rock. Just the other day, we had a moment of miscommunication between one of my students and myself, which resulted in the whole class laughing till there were tears in our eyes! Awesome, I tell you!

4. Teachers are awesome.
               Teachers are this special group of people, so I feel. When you get a bunch of us together, craziness ensues! I love my coworkers. They are the most fantastic group of people. We can share prayer requests, listen, give advice, and support each other. We can also be laughing at the top of our lungs and giving each other hard times for accents, footballs teams, and lessons gone wrong. I could not have survived my first year without the amazing group of teachers at my school.

5. Teaching is so fun/rewarding/awesome!
                As if you couldn't already tell from all my posts on this blog! It is so rewarding to go to work everyday and help a kid read, solve a math problem, study parts of a plant, or write a paragraph. I realize that I don't remember a whole lot from 2nd grade myself and most likely these kids won't either. But if I can help prepare them for the next step, I am a happy camper! I may not know where I'll be in a year, five years, or ten, but I pray that I will still be teaching.

Silent reading time. Loved by teacher and students alike!