The Journey Inward

Our school year is quickly coming to a close. I can’t even believe it’s been a year since this adventure began. It was this time last year that I was invited to the conference that would change my life.

Being a classroom teacher in an international school has restored my passion for teaching. It has been my greatest pleasure to teach third grade and hone my craft in a way that was becoming more and more difficult in the high stakes testing culture of New Jersey. This philosophy of education and pedagogy aligns so much more with my own and brings me joy and fulfillment.

And then there’s my colleagues. My fellow third grade teacher has quickly become one of my favorite people on the planet. She is an incredible teacher and an amazing human being. I have so much love and respect for her. My 3-5 team is also so supportive and we have grown close this year and bonded through planning, but also through fun bonding experiences.

My colleagues on campus are supportive and warm and I am so grateful that I landed on this smaller campus in a friendly and vibrant city that is safer and slower paced than Joburg.

The year flew by and I gained more confidence and clarity as each week passed. Our team worked so fairly and equitably, yet were always there to cover for each other if needed.

I bought coffee for my colleagues every Monday morning, at blos, a sweet cafe near me. It became one of my treasured rituals. Tomorrow I’ll do it for the last time this school year.

To say I am grateful for this adventure is not even humble enough. So many people and circumstances came together to make this possible and I was open and ready to take the leap of faith with no doubts or regrets and very little time spent considering. It felt right in the very fiber of my being and it has been.

We had our combined school dinner and dancing night in Joburg and our school party at my principal’s house to wrap the year. Our fifth graders had their move up ceremony, and our 8th graders graduated. We had our end of year party and our families gave us adorable gifts.

I proposed a teacher countdown for our last 8 days and that’s been a blast. Eunine bought us juices and we went on a walk one day. Azeb took us to lunch another. I brought in pastries and a game and Teighler gave us candy bars with inspiring words and quotes. Majda gave us snack packs and on Friday we played our game again. We’ll finish off with 3 more events this week.

International teaching and living abroad have expanded and transformed me and there’s no shrinking back to fit in mind or spirit.