Today on the blog we have a very special guest post from the one, the only and the original “THE MISTER!” I have been trying to get Jason (see, he does have a real name) to write about his experiences as a teacher spouse for years and he finally did it! Honestly, I could not do what I do without his amazing support, encouragement, constructive criticism and love! I hope you enjoy his story!
Life As The Mister
When I first met Greg, I have to admit, I thought kindergarten teachers were …don’t hate me, glorified babysitters. Seriously, please, don’t hate me, I didn’t know better. I had NO IDEA what all went into a day in kindergarten.
Honestly, I had no idea how much time teachers spent planning and prepping. I had no idea how much money teachers spent out of their own pockets to supply their classrooms with the materials needed to effectively teach their students. Trust me, I was CLUELESS! But I quickly learned once Greg and I moved in together. I saw his long days planning on the weekends and his even longer days spent at school. I also noticed how much of “OUR” money was being spent on classroom supplies!! Whew….that got my attention quick!!
As I silently watched and listened, I started to realize that Greg was not just teaching kindergarten as a “job.” He wasn’t just bringing home a check, Lord knows he wasn’t bringing home the bacon but I digress!! I learned that he is a teacher. Ya know, not everyone is born to to be a teacher. You can’t just go get a degree, jump in a classroom and say, ok I am now the teacher. No. It takes a special person to do what real teachers do every day. Do some just grab their degree and begrudgingly go into work every day, much like I always have with my career in finance? Sure, some do that.
Born To Teach
Every profession has those that are just going into work to bring home a paycheck, much like I did, but there are also those that are BORN to be teachers. Those that are born to be nurses. Born to be doctors. Born to be…well…just about everything. We all have talents with which we are born. Some are lucky to be able to identify theirs and make a career out of it, like Greg. Maybe like you. I hope that you are reading this and you say to yourself, hey that’s me: I am doing what I was born to do!v
I envy Greg’s drive, his passion, his finesse…it amazes me! It’s just natural for him.
Ok, ok, I have went on and on about Greg but there is a reason for that. TKS grew into something we never expected. It grew into a way for teachers to find inspiration, collaboration and confidence. Once we decided that TKS was not just a blog and TPT resources, we knew it required a person dedicated to it full-time. This is where I found MY place.
The Mister And TKS
You see, I have always wanted to own a “business.” I have always enjoyed management. I have always been a self-starter and have always worked well independently or with small groups. I also have always enjoyed being around kids and many times thought of wanting to find a place in education. And yes, I even considered education while in college but saw the salaries of teachers and as a young adult set on “making it big,” quickly changed my mind! All that said, it was kind of the perfect combination for me. I get to sorta run our “business,” AND work in a classroom. So I volunteered to give up my job in finance and fully dedicate myself to TKS.
TEAM TKS
Since mid-2016, I have been 100% TKS!! Greg and I really do make a pretty great team. He is able to focus on his classroom, presentations and creativity while I make sure that everything “behind the scenes” runs smoothly. Not only do I take care of scheduling, bookkeeping, social media, emails, and planning our ELEVATE! Conferences, I also help him with the classroom. I help laminate, help with making food for Foodie Fun Fridays, prepping science experiments, organization, and just about anything he can think of to have me do. It’s fun! I enjoy every minute of it. I’m no longer stuck behind a desk pushing numbers around for a large corporation. I am helping make a difference in the world. Bringing teachers together to collaborate and inspire each other. Helping teachers make a difference in the lives of their students. Am I a teacher, no, but I sure as heck enjoy every single minute of helping all of the teachers in the world be the very best they can be!!
Helping Teachers
So thank you. Thank you for letting me see out my dream. And thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day and your classroom. Thank you for what you do for your students and your fellow teachers.
And thank you for not just taking home a paycheck but for being a TEACHER.
