I Get to Wear a Teacher's Badge!!

When I was little I always played 'school'. My 'school' consisted of me teaching imaginary kids sitting on the floor in my living room. Now, since I was little I didn't really teach much of anything rather I just perfected my teaching desire.

I only needed two things in order for me to feel like a teacher as I played 'school'. Those two things were a stack of white computer paper, and a teacher's badge.

That's all that mattered to me! At a young age (long before I met Dr. Foster) all I need in order for me to feel like a teacher was my papers to pass out and a badge with my picture on it.

I felt like a teacher because I got to pass out paper! Let me tell you, I perfected that skill and today I am a pretty good paper passer outer. But I could not pass out paper unless I was wearing my teacher's badge. Of course I did not have anything like a real teacher's badge so I had to improvise.

Let me tell you what my 'teacher's badge' was. You know when you go to amusement parks and on some water rides a camera will take your picture  as you going down the ride. And at the end of the ride you can purchase a small keychain picture. Well I happen to like those water rides so I have a few of those little keychain pictures. So I put one of those pictures on my handy dandy Penn State lanyard and I was a teacher! Now there were a few extra heads in my teacher picture but that was okay.

I felt like a teacher! I was a' teacher' because I wore a teacher's badge....and passed out paper!

A dream of mine came true this week. A desire, a passion, a goal, and an amazing opportunity came true. I got a real teacher's badge!

Now as you can see my teacher's badge does not say my name nor does it have a picture of my lovely face on it. Instead it says substitute, and I'm okay with that!

After this first week, I feel confident in myself, and the knowledge that I have gained about becoming an effective, powerful agricultural teacher. I feel as though I have the knowledge and the ability to wear this substitute teacher badge.

But, this badge, unlike my amusement park picture badge, does not have my picture on it. This badge is not permanent for me (and believe me I would love to have a permanent badge at KD). Rather this badge is not permanent for me yet, because I don't feel as though I am ready for a real badge with my name and face on it. I have the knowledge but I want the experience. I want to earn my REAL teacher's badge that says Ms. Timmons.

This first week of student teaching inspired me to continue and to honestly, entirely committed earn a permanent teacher's badge.

I got to watch an amazing, inspiring agriculture teach this week. I got to have a dog stay in my classroom (as a guest) one day this week because we were finishing an animal unit on dogs. I got to sit in on our monthly FFA meeting. I got to see my students every single day this week. I got to meet a welcoming family of faculty and staff this week. I got to have lunch in the teacher's lounge each day and listen to some of the funniest conversations you could ever hear in a school.

This was a great week of observations. But, observing is not going to make me an amazing agriculture teacher. Observing is not going to earn my permanent teacher's badge.

I am so excited for the weeks ahead. I am so excited to teach and to share my voice with my students. I am ready to finally earn my teacher's badge!

A few weeks ago at National FFA Convention, I told Ms. Smith that I could not wait to spend every day with her at Kennard Dale. After a week with her and our students, I feel even more excited to see her and our kids each day!

I can't wait for the rest of this semester and for all the dreams that keep coming true.

Love,
Ms. Timmons

"And I will rise when He calls my name"-Chris Tomlin