#Repost @saltyvisionz #backtoschool ・・・ And... WE BACK! Best of luck to all the students, parents, teachers and staff heading back to school this week! Bittersweet for sure, but excited to be back. This is year 12 of teaching for me; but my first year with tenure. For the first time in my professional life, I actually feel home. 💙 I really feel like I belong; a true sense of security has finally settled in for me and taking the next "life steps" just doesn't sound as crazy anymore. When my childhood dream of being a meteorologist didn't pan out, I followed a few of my lifeguarding friends into education. I kept true to my passions and pursued a degree in Earth Science where I ultimately found my love for teaching others. Over the last decade or so, I have discovered the power of education by not only teaching science to middle schoolers, but also through my surf instruction and amateur weather forecasts. Finding common interests, establishing deeper connections and LOTS of patience have been paramount to my success as an educator. I've realized that it's nearly impossible to have a major impact on ALL of your students each year, but all it takes is one to make it all so worth it. Just one student to tell you how you inspired them or helped them in some way. None of us would be where we are without the teachers in our life... From parents to friends, colleagues, and professionals alike; teachers and bearers of knowledge come in all forms. The whole experience of heading back is certainly a mixed bag of emotions... The best weather, waves, and vibes are just around the corner; but seeing the smiling faces and being there for the kid who maybe didn't have an enjoyable Summer makes it pretty easy to head back for. That being said, I'm soo ready for it. Let's do this September!!! 🍁 🍂 🌊🌀