that was just what I needed to hear...

Throughout my college career, I never doubted that I wanted to be a teacher. Unlike many students my age, I never changed my major once a semester, and never had to answer "I don't know" to the age-old question, 

"What do you want to do with your life?"

I just always knew.
That is, until this semester started.

You see, actually becoming a teaching was never a reality to me until I began my methods courses in January. I was suddenly inundated with lesson plans, case studies, reading, planning, and many other things that come along with being a teacher. For the first time, my confident little brain began to think, "Am I really cut out for this?" I worried (okay, I still worry) that I don't have what it takes to reach children, to be that teacher that really makes a difference. I began to feel overwhelmed with what I had to do, and worried that I just won't be good enough.

Thankfully, my students never fail to bring me the encouragement I need. After a recent social studies lesson about geography, I overheard one of my first graders saying to another classmate, "That was so fun what Miss Oglesby did with us today!" The excitement in his voice was the greatest thanks I could have ever received, and it made those two hours of cutting out construction paper circles the night before more than worth it. It was just what I needed to hear. At that moment, my doubts and fears disappeared, and I knew with complete certainty that I am in fact cut out to be a teacher. Does that mean I won't be faced with great challenges in the future? Absolutely not. But I do know that I am in the right place. My heart is in it for the right reasons, and I couldn't be happier.

 This is the circle cutting I referred to a bit earlier. I taught the concept of being in 5 places at once: 

City, State, Country, Continent and Earth. You'll see the activity that goes along with it in the picture below.

 Here's an example of the activity. We put a brad in the center circle to make them stay together. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably find a world map and have them glue it onto the back to make the concept just a little more concrete.

 I used these Russian Stacking Dolls to illustrate the concept.

 My roommate has these awesome mixing bowls, and they were another great illustration of the concept. I called on kids to hold them up in a line in the front of the room, and as we said which city, state, etc. was ours, we'd stack the bowls back together to show how we fit inside each of those places at one time. Let me tell you, they LOVED this activity. 

I'm so blessed to be in such a wonderful classroom!