It's already been a week?!

So, in case you've missed it, I am back in school working full time as a teacher.

I teach sixth grade non-fiction English-Language Arts.

I hang out with sixth graders all day.

And I love it.

Let that sink in.

Ms. Pace is BACK!

Every day, I grow more and more thankful that God graciously placed this opportunity in my lap. I'll be honest; when I received the first phone call about this middle school in March, I didn't give it much thought. I had just landed my job at Oxford, and I told the principal (my new boss), that I would love to interview but wasn't sure when I could at the moment, per my new commitments at Oxford High School. When I finally contacted him again about the position, it had been filled (by a high school friend, LEAH, and we're now coworkers! Small world!). The principal told me he would get in touch with me if another position opened.

I got a phone call from him in early May and made an appointment for an interview on a Monday afternoon. I had just finished two interviews with Tupelo Middle School and was certain I would be getting the job. Eric and I were excited about the possibility of moving back towards North Mississippi; we were seriously about to start packing up our house!

I went to my interview at my new school confident but a bit careless. By the time I walked out, I was sold. Seriously. Never had I ever felt such a strong connection with the people who sat in my interview. There were four of us: the principal, curriculum coordinator, fiction reading teacher (I was interviewing for non-fiction) and the non-fiction teacher I would be replacing, who just became my new best friend. No, seriously, we are new best friends. Hi, AMY!

I felt so happy and at ease with my interview, so I can't explain the excitement the next day when the principal called and said they'd decided not to interview anyone else. It took only about thirty seconds of discussion with my husband for us to decide: I called the principal back the next morning and happily accepted the job.

Fast forward through the summer to now. I'm loving it. No, really. I LOVE my job. We're only a week in, I know, but I can't explain to you how amazing this school is. The kids are great. You read that right; these kids are wonderful. The teachers, my new friends, are amazing. So supportive, so helpful. Everyone cares about one another and we work as a team. My principals stop by my classroom a few times a day. They genuinely care about me and my students, and it's evident that they love their jobs too and enjoy being there.

So many people told me, and now I realize they were right: I just needed to be somewhere else. I needed some new scenery. I will always love the first school where I taught, so please, especially if you're a former student or co-worker, don't think that I hate you or that school; I couldn't if I tried! It holds a special place in my heart and always will. But it wasn't the best place for me, and now I'm right where I need to be.

Thank you to all who have texted me/messaged me/emailed me this week checking in. Seriously, you're all so sweet, and I'm extremely blessed and grateful to call you my friends!

My workspace! No, my desk is NEVER this clean!

There was that one day I had to do my hair and makeup at school...

Add caption

I power through my day with help from Yoplait's Plenti Yogurt!

And once again, my night looks like this. Not every single night, but it happens, and it's just part of being a teacher. I try not to bring work home with me, but it's difficult not to at the beginning of the year. Hopefully I can get things a bit more organized by October!

 

 

Come back tomorrow for a "Fit Friday" GUEST POST! I am so excited about this, guys!!!

 

Ending it with a classic Snapchat from earlier this week; I did my LAST paper for summer grad school courses!