Acquaintances, revisted

(Don't ask how I spelled acquaintance the first three times I tried . I am not the best speller in the world)

I was at a Title I conference yesterday and today. Here we visited sessions on how to improve our lowest performing students among other things.

BUT the sessions are not what this blog is about. There were teachers there from all over west tn. I saw two people who went to the same college I did. One was in almost every one of my eductation classes and is now a Supervisor of Instruction (more power to her, I have no desire to be in administration)

I also saw several teachers from my very first teaching job. Let me start at the beginning of this journey...
I student taught in first and 7th/8th grades in Henderson County (interesting tidbit- I NEVER wanted to teach middle school, now I love it!) After student teaching, I went all summer with no word on a job. I got a call from Perry Co schools to teach 2nd grade TWO DAYS before school started (I also got two other calls that same day). I found out the supervisor from my student teaching job put in a good word for me and that helped me get the job.

I liked teaching second grade, but it was so far from where I grew up and we were lonely there. After waiting until the last legal minute, the school board decided not to rehire any of their non tenured teachers so Mark and I moved back to my hometown, no jobs lined up. (I was hired at my current job soon after)

Flash forward to yesterday (or is that still a flash back?)
I saw several women that I recognized from Linden Elementary at the conference. I sat with them at one of the sessions and we chatted a little. I asked about some of the kids I had that year (they graduated last May!) One little girl I had named Jocelyn was someone I always wondered about. I found out she didnt graduate high school. this makes me sad.

I also saw the woman who was my mentor teacher that first year. I was so surprised! She is now the reading specialist at her school.

And I saw the woman who helped me get my first job. She was the speaker at the banquet last night. I never had the chance to thank her so I talked with her after it was over.

I am so glad that I got to go to the conference because I got to see so many people that I had lost contact with.

Im glad I am home now. Like a goof, I didnt take my laptop and I was starting to go through withdrawls...