Year 3. It's fine. I'm fine.

Somedays I can't believe that I'm already on my third year of teaching, and then there are some days I'm like, Yes, I'm definitely on my third year of teaching... are we sure this isn't year five?!

Not gonna lie, though... year three had me starting out in a weird + emotional funk. Like, not even 24 hours ago I was crying to my sister about said funk. For starters, I didn't have back-to-school nightmares, I didn't get butterflies on the first day of school, and I just really didn't feel any motivation to plan ahead for the first day.

All my lack of enthusiasm for this year was probably due to the fact that I wasn't planning on coming back this year, and neither was my principal (until the last minute at the end of the school year), which resulted in me and Keisha forced to share a classroom this year, teach way more PE classes than health, and a lot of other big changes that I won't bore you with. Fun fact about me is that I don't deal with change well. Like, at all. Ha. Hence, tears every day of my first week back + I'm in everybody's way! + There's no place for me here! thoughts. UGH.

But then today as I taught my first "real" lesson, my heart just kind of exploded with joy + love for my new students, which must have sent a signal to my brain that screamed, Calm your tits, Shay! You are F I N E!!! You owe it to these kids to be your best, happiest self this year. 

Sooo I guess what I'm trying to say is that I can't judge the rest of my school year based off my first week, because let's be honest, first week is kind of the worst, right?! Plus, I have more important things to worry about than sharing a classroom or having my own desk -- like T-Swift's new single, duh. Do you guys love or hate it? I'm kinda diggin' it.

ANYWAY. Here we go, year 3! Consider my best foot now forward.