Goodbye Teaching Preschool

Next year, I'm putting Kate in a paid preschool program.

I hate, hate, hate to spend the money, but after 6 years of helping to host/teach a preschool co-op/swap/whatever-you-want-to-call-it, I'm done.  I've earned my frugality badge and now I think I deserve to just throw money at this problem.

I've taught two years with Claire, three years with Scott (he did one when he was 2 yrs old), and a year with Kate.  Every time I have to teach, it ruins my week.  It arguably ruins the week before because I dread it so much and start obsessively making sure I have all the craft supplies and won't be forced to squeeze in a last minute shopping trip.  It also arguably ruins the week after because my house and I have to recover from it.  So you know, ruining 3 weeks every time I teach is not the greatest.

I don't know why, but I just struggle with teaching.  Nay, I loathe it deep in my soul.  It's not that the kids I've had to work with weren't fabulous children.  It's just that at the end of the day, they're small children.  It can only be so good.  I love them, really I do.  But they're a little slow on the uptake when it comes to things like algebra and physics.  So they're a little outside my skill set.  

I have never been good, nor will I ever be good, at making sock puppets talk.

I'm only teaching one more day after today.  I'm in the home stretch now.  But because the end is in sight, it's been even HARDER. The kids are still sweet.  I need to tell them, "It's not you, it's me."

And thank goodness these cute kids know how to butter me up.  They all collected these really pretty weeds from my back yard for me!

Okay, so maybe having them all over is kinda fun sometimes ;)