"You're my new BFF!"

Day 10
I had the opportunity this afternoon to attend a meeting of other Cluster teachers in my district. I remembered from last year that it had been a meeting that I appreciated, but nothing over the top. Today was ah-mazing! Now that I have a year under my belt as a teacher I am figuring out what questions I should be asking, and realizing more and more what I don't know. At the meeting today I got to ask my questions and have them answered by people who really know the answers. I mean, these people are in my same situation! We were grouped according to class type, so I was literally bumping elbows with people who do what I do every single day. I didn't have to explain how things work in my room because they get it. Explicitly. Today was the best meeting that I have been to all year! They asked at the end how helpful we thought the meeting was, how often we should have them, and then excused us to leave. Half an hour later we were still there! I was so grateful for the opportunity that I had to meet the other two teachers who share my same class (there were three of us from the middle school setting, and a good handful of elementary teachers) and we were able to exchange information. They showed me things that I didn't know about, and brought so much clarity to me! I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and even better, I know that I am not alone in the world. There are people who are just an email or phone call away who really understand what my classroom is like. They share the same hopes, fears, and desires for their students. At one point I told my new friends that I just wanted to hug them and that they were my new BFFs. To sum it up, today I am thankful for the meeting that I attended, and for the opportunity that I had to meet my counterparts. It's amazing how much not feeling alone in the world can make a difference. I am thankful for the support that I receive as a teacher, and that my district is continually searching for ways to help us become the best teachers that we can be. Ahhh, I loved today!