Ideality

This school year has been pretty fantastic.  The best way to describe my position is IDEAL.  Last year when I was pregnant, I was pretty sure that my teaching career was coming to an end.  I knew teaching full time and being a mom was not an option for me because I would fail at one and I didn't want to find out which one that would be.
So in my mind, I figured I would be done and when people talked about contracts or the next year, I would just say, "We'll see." Then, about two weeks before Laila was born I had this small feeling of what if I could split a contract?  I know team teaching is not easy especially since teachers all have very specific personalities and ways they like things done.  However, I thought I could just do it for one year (until Michael graduates with his MBA.) And there was a girl who was doing a sub position for another maternity leave who was looking for a teaching position at the school.  I thought we could get along fine.  I could possibly find someone in my ward to babysit Laila. And then she could take over the class after a year.  I talked to my principal and he was completely supportive and liked the idea.  I talked to the other teacher trying to get her on board, but she wanted a full time position.  The school offered her part time with me and part time subbing. Thus, giving her full time pay and benefits.  (See how incredibly supportive my school is of me?!) However, she didn't want to be subbing.  She wanted her own classroom and so she turned me down and accepted a position at a charter school.
I was pretty disappointed, but not for long, because that exact same day that she turned me down, I received a phone call from an old friend! My friend, Jen Rogerson, and I went to New Zealand together and she was calling to ask about housing in the area as her husband was about to start med school nearby and she and her cute family would be moving down.  This was followed by me asking, so do you want to teach part time with me? She said yes. My principal said he didn't know her so he would be hesitant because he didn't want to have conflicting personalities, but he interviewed her and said I needed to help her get her Utah teaching license transferred over!  It all just fell into place!
We worked it out so that I teach Monday, Tuesday and every other Wednesday while Jen watches Laila and her son, Mason.  Then, I watch our babes while Jen teaches. IDEAL!  It's been such a perfect combination and way better than I could have ever imagined since we don't have to pay for babysitting.  Jen is from BYU so she has a similar teaching background and style as me.  Laila and Mason get along well and it's just the two of them together instead of a heap of kids in day care. IDEAL!
I have loved being in the classroom and being able to be home with my girl.  Our class is a good group, but it's nice to have a partner to tag in when I've had enough.  We did my favorite assignment the other day and it did not disappoint.  I blogged about some of the other awesome ones from years past, but this year's "Capacity Man" awesome award goes to our Gangnam style boys:

They asked if we could place them side by side on the board so people could see all three parts.  I love it so so so much! They are just genius and I love seeing what my students come up all by themselves. So fantastic!