True Confessions of a Teacher

Chapter 1

I've oftentimes felt like I had a pretty good life growing up. There had been a few huge bumps on the road but I was always able to shake off the dust from my feet and move on with my life. 

I finished college at the age of 19, when most people are just beginning to feel at home at the university of their choice. I've been teaching for quite a long time, but due to some life-changing decisions, I had to move from one school to another.  Not every year.  Just when I had to.  But unlike most teachers, I had the opportunity to teach in elementary, middle school, high school, and even in college.  I couldn't believe I had done that all in just one lifetime.  It sounded so unreal.

Because this is a true story, I had to change names of people and places.  But I invite you to walk in my humble shoes for just half a day... being a teacher at a tiny daycare center.

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Summer, 2016. I parked my car in the only shade I could find and hurriedly walked inside the school building. I wonder how Sadie is doing today, I sighed as I slowly closed the wooden red painted school door behind me. I was particularly worried about her because she got bitten by another kid a couple of days ago while we were at the playground.  Tiptoeing, I hastily glanced at the wall clock to log my time in, 12:00.

The classroom was pitch dark, and the usual instrumental music was on. I could tell Mel was struggling to put a couple of kids to sleep and little Brad was still sitting on a high chair finishing up his pasta.

He beamed a huge dimpled smile as he saw me come in, putting my finger on my lips. I threw a quick hug and kiss as I quietly crossed the kitchen floor and put my water bottle on top of the counter.

"Shhh!" I could hear Mel continually whispering as she rubbed Olivia's back.

Is Sadie around? I wondered. I blinked many times to adjust my sight and noticed someone's shadow shuffling in the midst of silence. It was little Camden who made an attempt to walk towards me, but someone had grabbed him before he could even reach my hand.

Indeed, it was time for the nap. Oh well, Sadie had already fallen to sleep. I tried to shush whimpering Olivia, shhhh! And tilted my head closer to Mel whispering, "Am I taking over this class?"

"You might want to ask Ms. Kim," she replied politely.

"Where is she?"

"I don't know."

"Alright, I'll look for her."

Kim was just a year older than me.  Extremely hardworking but an upbeat person, she would do all the cooking and managing the entire school even when Jenny, the owner, was around. 

I searched for her from one room to another, and instantly found her in the kindergarten classroom. She was sitting on the floor in between two sleeping mats, trying to keep the kids from talking to each other. I could tell she had had a busy day as her black hair that was parted in the center and pulled back in a ponytail was in a mess.

"You need to take over Mel's class," she waved at me with a smile from afar.

I nodded.

"Yes," she whispered.  "Go!"

I hurried back to Mel and told her that I was taking over. 

"Oh, okay," she replied.

"Will you be coming back?" I was curious.