I'm really missing my ATA co-workers tonight......
I miss the after school chats with my grade level team. Stories about students, planning out projects, and just living through our first years of teaching.....but doing it together.
I miss my "help me" chats with my Tina. She always let me vent and never passed judgment or critiqued my feelings. She would listen quietly and then give me the truer perspective I needed, but couldn't see. I miss her so dearly.
I miss planning out curriculum with my 10th grade science partner, Jason. We always got so much done!
I miss the front office team chit-chatting with me any time I needed a break.
I miss an administrator who loved his staff and wanted them to be happy above all else & who worked so hard to make our workplace fun & friendly. I miss knowing that Pete would always be there to listen to your ideas and know that he cared about you professionally & personally.
I miss Barb B's gentle wisdom and quiet soul.
I miss Barb T's energy, stories, & guidance.
I miss Val's quiet knowledge and patience to work to solve problems.
I miss the cheerful Mike who would always take some time to chat with me when he came to tidy my room. I miss his generous heart and caring soul. He would never let me even lift a finger when I was pregnant.
I miss having a technology coordinator that actually embraced technology in education & was always trying to find new ways to use tech in the classroom.
I miss the high-fives in the staff lounge between Andrew & Tina.
I miss listening to the sound of Lori tending plants in the greenhouse & then staying to chat with me afterwards.
I miss my pretty classroom full of scientists and exploration of the real world.
I miss the "family" I had at the ATA. Always finding ways to include each other in our lives beyond work. Sharing our successes, failures, hardships, and joys with each other.
Sometimes I wish things hadn't had to change. OK. Not sometimes. More like almost all the time.....
I hate this feeling that it is all slipping away. It's been just over a year since I left the ATA and now it has shut-down entirely. I just feel like I'm losing my friends / family. This new workplace just is not the same....
:-( I miss my ATA family....
