Student teaching and year 1: High, skinny heels; pointy, squished toes.
Year 2: Realized that wasn't working out, bought a pair of Naturalizers and some flatty flats.
Year 3: Flatty flats making my feet swell to astronomical sizes. Each day of this week, I left barely able to walk.
So I did it.
I went shoe shopping.
The fact that I went [shoe] shopping is not tremendously surprising for me. As a former shoe store employee, my footwear collection is large. The collection includes adorably painful shoes that are killing my feet, knees, and spine when I wear them all day at school. The surprising thing is that I went with full intent to never wear my teenie tiny, very cute, zero-support shoes to school ever again.
So I went to the mall and entered near Journey's, knowing full well that I wouldn't stop in, since I didn't need character shoes or neon sneakers. But something caught my eye in their window display... and I did it. I went in to try on a pair of Toms.
As yesterday was casual Friday, I was wearing my very bright green Stewart Middle School t-shirt. The salesperson who helped me was very friendly, and we started talking about my job and why I needed new shoes. Turns out, her little sister was one of my rock star Musical Theater students my first year of teaching.
After reliving that sweet part of history, I left the store, intent on "shopping around" for other shoes. But after being distracted with best friends, Ninja Turtle Starbucks Style Water Glasses, and former students in the mall, I made my way back to Journeys and made the purchase.
The true test will be Monday, when I have seven straight periods of teaching and a half hour "lunch" in between to sit down. As it stands right now, Toms seem to be the most perfect teaching shoes I could have found.
As much as my poor body has been tortured this week, one thing that has been warmed by being back at school is my heart.
Cheesy cliches aside, I am truly and honestly having an incredible time with my students so far. Yes, it's only been three days. And yes, the "honeymoon period" is not technically over. But the change I've seen in some kids from last year to this, and the change I see in myself and my school, is overwhelmingly positive.
If you know anything about my school, you know that we've had our fair share of change. And with change inevitably comes drama. Changes in the schedule and calendar, new and shifting leadership, funding concerns, and Tacoma News Tribune articles were our lives for the last 2 years. It hasn't been easy. Especially for our kids.
This year, the changes we've made are solid... and... drum roll... CONSISTENT. We've got high expectations for our students, all teachers and administrators are on the same page, and overall, there is an incredible culture and environment beginning to form at Stewart.
I am so excited to see where these changes take us as our "honeymoon" dies down and the real rigor starts.
More on that as it happens, I suppose. :)
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