Throwback Thursday

Okay, people! I have never, ever participated in a Throwback Thursday, and now you'll all know why! That's me at the bottom left, front row. Check out the sullen look, the "winged" hair, the oversized glasses, and that lovely outfit! My best friend was Jennifer, three to my right in the blue and orange plaid shirt. Strangely, I can name every single person in this photo, although I was in school with some of them from third grade through college (yep, Doug was in every class I had all the way through Clemson - he's the one in the USC shirt right in the middle). As if being in the eighth grade over 30 YEARS ago isn't bad enough, I have to confess that this is the absolute oldest photo I have digital access to, so no, I don't teach eighth grade, but it is when I knew I wanted to be a teacher.

My teaching career went something like this:

Senior year of high school - "Mom, I think it's stupid that they ask you on this college application what you want to major in. That means I have to pick a job for the rest of my life right now!" 

"Yes, Brooke, it does. What do you want to do?" 

"I have no idea...how's a 17-year-old supposed to know that? I would like to teach English."

"You can be anything. You don't have to be a teacher or a nurse. That's all I was supposed to be when I was in school. That's all women could be. Think bigger."

"Oh. How about an astronaut? The first woman astronaut?"

"That's crazy. They don't let women be astronauts."

Really? This is the conversation my mom and I had at the kitchen table. Here she is telling me I can be anything and in the next breath, I can't be an astronaut because I'm a girl! What up with that? 

THREE majors and two careers later, at 29, I decided to go to grad school to be a...teacher. The hold-up? That very conversation right then, right there at the kitchen table. Oh, well, a late start, but I never looked back. Teaching is perfect for me! :) "Miss ADHD" has never been bored. Every single day is different. The curricular changes, themselves, are enough to keep me on my toes! Let's see, whole language, basal, four-block, basal, trade books, basal, CCSS and who knows what's next for us in S.C., now that our brilliant governor announced that we will no longer educate children...

Honestly, I love every day of teaching. The children are precious, my co-workers are amazing, the parents at my school are great, and I pretty much have the same schedule as my beautiful daughters. I knew I would love it. 

My third (and fourth) grade teacher, Miss Bruce, was my hero - not to mention my babysitter. She invited me to her wedding, and she came to mine, too. 

My elementary school, Taylors Elementary, was in a cotton mill!

My sixth grade English teacher, Mrs. McDaniel, was awesome! Eighth grade social studies? Coach Edmunds was hilarious and perfect for a bunch of hormonal pre-teens. By high school, I was totally hooked into education. I should have listened to my heart way back then, but, as they say, better late than never!

Happy Throwback!

XOXO,

Brooke