Full Circle

At the auction on Saturday, there was assorted odds and ends of school furniture. Having my fill of school furniture, I didn't pay much attention to it- I was focused on my newspaper boxes and the dog-fur-rug.

When I went to pick up the newspaper boxes the next day, I spotted this desk. Long ago- 13 years ago- a student of mine (Jim- Ms Ball- what was Jim's last name???) had painted this my first year teaching. One of the auction fellows said that it had been left behind and that if Ada said ok, I could keep it..... so home it came. Now it's back in my classroom and the kids love it, love the story about me finding it again. We call it the "Lassie of Desks".

In all my years I never dreamed of being a teacher (except nightmares! I *HATED* school until college. Not the classes so much, just being socially awkward and anxious) I wanted to be a marine biologist.... but there was the can't-pass-college-chemistry thing in the way. I ended up teaching because 1). I am good at art, but living off art is very, very hard- sucks all the joy right out of it 2). I realized that my husband was never going to grow up, that we had a child and *someone* needed to support the family 3). I applied for one teaching job. Just one. Because they had a picture of the beach on the table at the job fair....I got the call before I made it home from the interview- and here I am.

I never thought I would love it. I do. Which doesn't mean I don't get tired and cranky and frustrated and have fantasies where I only teach online so that I can wear my yoga pants and drink coffee all day.... Last year/ this past fall I was suffering from extreme burnout, but I stuck with it. I'm glad I did because I have fallen back in love with it (except the AP class. Love the kids, hate the testing) Someday I might move on to teach at a college or university or online in pajamas, but for right now the bloom is on the rose.