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Ahh! It’s all moving from snail’s pace to lightning bolt speed in the blink of an eye. We had a three week lull from winter break until J-Term came upon us. Our January-Term class has to pack in a lot of information in just one month, resulting in four hour classes in the evenings. Yesterday, I just received the link to confirm that I am walking in graduation in May. It’s only the beginning of the year and so many things will be changing. Today was my last day at my full time job working as a teacher’s assistant in the art room of a therapeutic school. It was hard to keep my composure saying goodbye to all of the students and staff that I had built relationships with over the past three years.

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Tomorrow, I am starting student teaching in Lincoln Park at Alcott Elementary and I will be there for the next seven weeks. It’s so funny to think for a year and a half we have been talking about teaching, learning about teaching, observing how others teach and analyzing it. Quickly the tables have turned and now we will be put in the driver’s seat, doing the teaching ourselves.

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Though everyone in my cohort will be in different schools, I’m still happy to see them once a week in our Monday class. It will be great to talk and compare our experiences and share our tribulations out in the ”real world.” Both of my cooperating teachers are caring so I know that I will be in good hands. I’m ready for the ride. The day ended listening to Chicago’s WBEZ and finding out that in the next two years, Chicago will be adding in an additional 84 music and art teachers. Good news for me and my cohort.