All About Me and a Manic Monday Freebie

How I became a teacher and what I’m doing now…..

 

I have always loved children but I wasn't one of those kids that played school when they were younger knowing they would be a teacher someday. I also wasn't like many others who had a long line of teachers in their family; no one in my family had been in education until my older sister became a speech pathologist.    One January while college was on break my sister invited me to spend the day with her in her classroom; at the time I was a mall girl working as a junior assistant manager at a trendy store and taking classes in marketing. I didn’t have class on Friday and thought well that might be fun I can go hang out with my sister during the day and we can hit the town that evening.  When I accepted the offer I had no idea that I would have so much fun,  despite the fact that the first activity of the day was "head checks" and a couple of kids had to be sent home.  Boy I still remember itching like crazy all day long but  the encounter with “couties” did not discourage me one bit I still decided this was way better than the business world, it was exciting, fun, it didn't even seem like work and those kiddos say the cutest things. The following day I couldn't get home fast enough to sign up for classes in Early Childhood Education.  The rest as they say is history, I have taught first grade for 20 years.  I would have started my 21^st year this year but instead I have taken a leave of absence to tend to two very special people in my life, my mother and mother in law.  In January my mother in law (the best mother in law on earth) was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. We knew her prognosis wasn't good but we put her illness in God's hands. She experienced ups and downs with her treatments but we thought she was doing ok considering the treatment she was going through. The second week of August she became very sick and had to be airlifted to St. Louis, that’s about a two hour car ride from where we live. Although we all thought the issue we went to St. Louis for had been fixed and our prayers had been answered a week later we were blindsided with the news that we should take her home and make her comfortable, she passed away 5 days later. She had 9 grandchildren, 4 children, 1 daughter in law, and 3 son in laws. She treated us all like her own and we will miss her greatly. 

 

My leave was intended to help with her and my own mother who is scheduled to have back surgery next month.    It has been a month since my mother in laws passing and although my heart will forever be broken I finally feel like I am starting to get my footings again where I can spend a little time  on our blog.  I will say that although I am not teaching this year I am busy every single day, I’m not sure how I work 9 months out of the year it seems like all I do is run from pillar to post.  So there you have it a little look inside who I am, how I became a teacher and what I’m doing these days.  Here are a few more things about me in pictorial form……

We live on a grain farm.......

 

This is what I see out my front window……

 I married my college sweetheart and we have three wonderful children. 

 I had to throw this pic in to show my boys are actually happy kids. They

just hate getting their picture taken because in their words I take way too many.

            

HA!  I love photography.....

 

Now here's a little freebie so you can learn more about your kiddos.  I'm sure everyone has already completed their "All About Me" unit for this year but hopefully you can still find it useful, I'm thinking filler, sub, center, or station. 

 

And Finally I believe God is the reason for my being and the many blessings in my life. 

Happy Monday Everyone!

Alison

 

You can link up your freebies every Monday here....