Glows and Grows First Year

As I've endured my first year of teaching, I have learned so many things. The most important piece I learned about being a first-year teacher is that you must take care of yourself before anything else can happen. Teaching, especially in the first year, is such an emotional and physically taxing profession. I made sure that on weekends and long breaks, I was doing something enjoyable like traveling, shopping, enjoying coffee shops, or reading in my room. This year alone, I've been to Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi, Memphis, Tennessee, St. Louis, Missouri, and West Fork, Arkansas. Being a teacher in Byhalia, Mississippi, Memphis is only a 30-minute drive away. The rest of the trips occurred over long breaks and long weekends. It's important to be able to rest and relax with these experiences, and not feel rushed or that you are not being productive. These trips are therapeutic for me and made me remember that even though I am a school teacher, I am first an