Goodbye Bennion Elementary

Yesterday was my last day as a 1st grade reading teacher at Bennion Elementary. What a blessing and joy this job has been this year. My plan at the beginning of the year was to work just Tuesdays and Thursdays for the whole school day helping out in 1st and 6th grade. But a few weeks into school, we realized that the first grade classes were HUGE so the teachers and principal asked if I could change my schedule to four days a week and just teach a 1st grade reading class. It was perfect! Max would be in preschool 3 of the days and then I had some neighbors babysit Mason on those days. My mom took care of Wednesday for me and also drove Max to preschool each day. Some how it all worked out. I went in at 8:30 each morning and was done by 11:30. I never had to work on a Friday (or early days). So it was the perfect arrangement and a perfect job! This is my class of 1st graders. They were the middle reading group, so they were pretty easy to teach. I had a few "naughty" boys, but we seemed to work it out. It was really fun to watch their progress in reading. When I got them at the beginning of the year, most of them were still learning all the sounds of the alphabet. But by the end of the year, they were all reading on level, it not above. That is really fun to watch happen.

This job was just the best opportunity for me. I got the best of both worlds. I could be a teacher, which I love, but then I could come home and just be a Mom, which I also love. I know Heavenly Father has been making it possible for me to continue doing a job I love, while at the same time, letting me be home to raise my children. The extra money I brought in has also been a great blessing for our family. I don't know if Bennion will be able to let me come back next year to do anything, what with all the budgets being cut and everything, but I am grateful that I had this year. Goodbye my cute little first graders!