In the last two weeks I have had the privilege of seeing some of the TOP Language Arts writers and teachers in the country. I met and was photographed with the "Two Sisters", and was in a small group setting with Kelly Gallagher. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. I am very excited about the ideas they shared and their passion for literacy. I am , and will always be a science girl. I love everything about teaching science. However, my current job (and thank God for it) is teaching Language Arts & SS. I think I am finally getting excited about teaching reading because I can see how it affects every area of a person's life. I am excited to get back in the classroom and set up my one on one conferencing and really teaching my students to become passionate about reading.
Today marks two years ago that our family moved to Texas. I remember that day well. We had spent the previous day with ALL of our family packing up our house, that had yet to be sold, into a giant moving van. The next day we all drove to Texas to move in our new apartment. We fit what we could into our new place and everything else was brought to storage. After we were all moved in and settled my mom had to leave. I remember putting my head down on the fence and crying as my mom pulled away. (yes, I was very pregnant and emotional). From that moment, I knew I had to grow up just a little bit more. I had to make new friends, not based on who my family was or past connections..but all brand spanking new. I would have to find a job..not based on any connections I already had..because I didn't know a soul in Fort Worth..not ONE! Those of you who have moved far away know what I am talking about.
The question I usually get when meeting someone new is "So what brought you to Texas?" I usually answer sarcastically, "My Honda van." The truth is, when it came right down to it...Education brought us to Texas. Yes, mainly because Kenny is following his dreams of becoming a minister and attending DTS. But honestly that is just a small piece of the bigger picture of why we left Louisiana.
I think the last 2 weeks of training really brought light to what I already knew. After seeing these two sets of amazing educators I am began to mourn my own education. Most of what I can remember about school,( which I LOVED, btw)centered around textbooks and worksheets. Somehow I always managed to get the best teachers that WBR parish had to offer...but it still wasn't a quality education. I wasn't taught to feast on books or think critically. It wasn't until college that I really learned how to write a good paper. This isn't a woe is me blog post but I needed to explain that to tell you why I am so thankful that we live in Texas now. Even one of the best private schools (no names mentioned) in Louisiana can NOT come near to compare to the public schools here. The teacher's here have challenged me to become a better teacher. I just thought I was a good teacher before...boy, was I disillusioned. I am thankful that my Avery is getting a great education here in Texas..one that I wish I would have had....and one that the children of Louisiana deserve too. Yes, we have had to sacrifice the comfort and security of home, but the benefits of moving here have far outweighed the tough times. Now if we could just get more of our family to move out this way...
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