Teacher Talk Volume 1

Change is hard for me.  Even good change.  Even change that I believe lines up with God's will for my life.

I am excited to have "met" Nicole through her blog and twitter.  I don't even remember now how I stumbled onto her blog, but I know it was a God thing.  Nicole has such a beautiful heart.  I read her blog and walk away feeling a strong desire to spend more time with the Lord.  Her love for our heavenly father shines through every word.

That's why I knew immediately I wanted to be a part of the Teacher talk link up.  Nicole has organized a way for teachers from all over to encourage each other.

This could not have come at a more perfect time for me.  Though I only have good things to say about my new school and new coworkers, I'm really struggling with being there.

Some days I just want to pack up and quit.  I want to go back to HG where I felt like I knew what I was doing.

I'm being pushed outside of my comfort zone.  And yet I know I'm right where I'm supposed to be.

I believe this monthly link up is one way God is going to encourage me and help me not only survive this school year but thrive in it.

Today is the first day to link up with other teachers and share a little bit about ourselves.

So here it goes...

I'm Elaina.  I'm married to my best friend and biggest supporter.

We have two furbabies, Liberty Belle & Lincoln Baxter, and are praying God will bless us with children someday soon.

I have always wanted to teach.  I was the little girl who pretended my stuffed animals were my students.  I received a chalkboard easel one year for Christmas and it quickly became my most favorite gift ever!

When I graduated high school there was never any question about my next step.  I would go to college and get my degree so that I could teach.

One of my most memorable teachers was my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Russell.  I can still remember her class like it was yesterday.  Because she made such an impact on my I always thought I wanted to teach 4th grade.

My first internship in college was in a self contained 4th grade classroom and I hated it.  I was miserable.  It really confused me.  I believed with everything in me that God had called me to teach, but it was nothing like I had expected.  I spoke with one of my professors about it and she told me to wait until the next semester and see how I felt.  The next semester was to be sent teaching an older grade and one content area.  It ended up being 6th grade English for me.

I loved it!!

After graduating college, I taught one year at a private school, and then was hired on at HG where I taught every subject at the 7th grade level.

I learned that I LOVE 7th graders!!  And I loved teaching science, which is something I never thought I would say.

My husband took a new job at the beginning of this year that required us to move.

I had to leave HG, a school that had become family to me.

I'm now teaching 5th and 6th grade Math.

I'm not even two weeks into the school year so it is a little early to make a judgement on this new grade level.  I think I will learn to love it, but right now I'm struggling with all the change.

This year is my 8th year to teach and I honestly can't imagine myself doing anything else.