I’m cool with that

School started last week and for the first time since February of 2020, I’ve spend more time in a school building than out of one.
I subbed in French I and II for eighth graders.
The trickiest bit was there’s no teacher. No lesson plans.
Just me and thirty kids, and I don’t actually speak the language. My knowledge of French exists because Thing 1 and Thing 2 took French in high school.

The first day of school we did some get-to-know-you activities. Each subsequent day, I flew by the seat of my pants finding all the English speaking bits from the textbook.
Writing lesson plans isn’t actually under the job description of a substitute teacher…I’m just sayin’.
But, I survived!
At the end of the week, I met the retired French teacher who will be taking over the class until they can hire someone permanently. She reassured me I managed beautifully, and even showed me in the standard of learning that I’d already covered required material.
Go me!
But really, go those kids!
They were patient and engaged and perfectly willing to adapt.
I’ll see them twice more this week and two more times in September and already have more than enough lessons planned.

I’m heading over to ‘my old school’ this afternoon to teach in a fourth grade class, and they’ve already asked me if I’m willing to work temporarily in the front office.
I’m over here like, here’s my availability, let’s see what we can work out.

What’s great about all this is that I’m feeling good about being back to school.
What’s not great about all this is that I’m not getting as much done at home.
I am so close to being settled and feeling at home in this house…
We’ve already scheduled Baby K’s Birdie and Papa weekends through December. We need to do a few more things to ensure her safety here for extended periods of time.
She’s SO ready! When we were at her house yesterday, she kept saying, “B-Papa house!”

We’re going to make it work, because we’re just as enthusiastic about her being here with us as she is.

I’m making time for the important things.
Creating a home.
Being at school.
Writing these words.

Making time to do what I love.
I’m cool with that.