Back in Portland!

We are back in Portland! My family and I decided to move back, closer to family and friends in the land with rain and clouds. We were definitely sad to leave the friends we grew to know in Ontario, but are glad to return to the Rose City.

I accepted a 5th grade position at West Hills Christian School. It will be a good opportunity to integrate my faith with my education, as well as teach a self-contained classroom, which is something I've been wanting to do ever since I started teaching. While I will miss the 200+ 8th graders over the past two years, I look forward to having more fun with my own group of kids.

I feel very drained after a year in Ontario. It was definitely a learning experience. I went to Ontario expecting to be a teacher that made a big difference in the school and community, but I ended up being the one who was changed. It has certainly helped me become a better teacher, as West Hills Christian School will be the 4th school I've taught at in as many years. It will also be another big change, as private school is much different from public.

My hope is to continue to learn and grow as a teacher. While I will continue to have high expectations of my students, I will try to not have too high of expectations for myself. After my vastly different learning experiences the past couple of years, I want to take what I've learned, just focus on this year, and see what fruit grows. I'm excited!