"Come on in. The water is fine."

While re-reading my very first blog entry, I remembered that scared/excited feeling I had when school first began. Honestly, I was really scared to death. Before school began, I felt as though I were standing on a deserted beach at the water's edge. As I looked out over the water, I could see a Tsunami wave heading right toward me. That first day of school, I braced myself for the impact; instead, I found that the water eased me into its swells. At times, I have had to swim hard, fighting for every breath. At other times, I have become lighter and more buoyant as I am lifted up by the successes of my students. As certain as I was that teaching was the right transition for me, I was still afraid of the unknown. This first semester as a teacher has been tough in conjunction with my UAM requirements, but I do feel as though I have grown. As this first semester nears its end, I am thankful for the experiences I have been allowed thus far. Each one has brought me a bit closer to being the teacher I really want to be for the kids. That is encouraging because my greatest desire as a teacher is to be effective and provide a dynamic, challenging, safe environment in which students exceed not only mine - but their own expectations. Although I cannot say I have achieved the "truly effective teacher" status, I can safely say there is no Tsunami wave crashing through my classroom. What I will say is, "Come on in. The water is fine."