“I think I just met the happiest person in the world!” My mother on the other end of the conversation listened intently excited to hear something uplifting. We shared daily phone calls for most of my adult life and she was always eager to hear about the latest news. As of late it seemed like she was my sounding board for everything that caused stress in my life.

Today started like any other day. My alarm went off at 5 AM. I finally staggered out of bed after several presses of the snooze button. I scrambled to get dressed, quickly tied my hair up into a sleek bun, and burst into the kitchen. My coffee brewed creating a soothing scent filling the room. I threw a bag of carrots and pack of hummus into my lunch bag hoping that would be enough to curb my hunger throughout the day. The fridge seemed to be bare. Not due to inability to purchase food, but a sheer lack of time to shop for groceries. Several shouts of “get dressed” and “brush your hair and teeth” echoed throughout the house before we rushed out the door approximately 5 minutes late. The children blamed each other on who caused our untimely departure and then we drifted into a calm morning drive through farm land and pine trees.

Once we arrived at school, the three of us ran our separate ways. Not literally. Well not me anyway. The children to breakfast before heading to their own classrooms, and myself to Room 1102. I flipped on one light switch as to not overwhelm my eyes with the bright fluorescent lights. I sat my bag down and prepared my students’ morning work. Silence. Peace.

This was my first year teaching this grade level. Anxiety was high and confidence was low. It was quite different than what I was used to. Preteen attitudes and strong body odor felt worlds away from sing song voices and bandaids that fixed anything. I was slowly falling into routine, but it wasn’t without its challenges.

Perhaps part of the problem this school year derived from my husband’s new job. Our new schedule was wildly different from what our family was used to. Previously he worked a steady 9-5; however, due to the economy and recent budget cuts he was forced to search for a different source of income. His new position included travel— two weeks away and one week home. This change thrust me into being the sole caregiver to our children. School, homework, sports, church. It’s all me most days and it wears me down. Don’t get me wrong. I am extremely grateful for the work my husband does to provide for our family. I try to handle it well, but some days I simply need a break. A quiet evening on the porch swing listening to the birds sing and watching the neighborhood deer graze out past our garden type of break.

The morning bell rang, students noisily filed in with their pajama bottoms and wrinkled t-shirts giving high fives. They unpacked. We begrudgingly began our day. Fractions. Nobody really likes them, but they are necessary to learn. We trudged through the lesson making real life connections along the way. Eventually it was time for the students to work on their own. I sat down at my desk to rest my feet for a bit and checked my email. Delete. Delete. Flag. The next one was from my principal with the subject line reading, “Student Teacher”.

I immediately opened it. I was informed that I would be the host of a fourth year student attending the local university’s college of education. She would be meeting me today promptly after the dismissal bell. Wonderful. Another item to add to my increasingly long list of responsibilities. When would this angst subside into a normal flow again? I text my in-laws to see if they could pick up the children from school so that I could focus on my new ward.

We finished Math, began Reading, enjoyed Recess, finished Reading, and began our Language Arts block. I walked the class to PE and attended a meeting. Then it was straight to lunch. We finished Language Arts, and completed Science and then Social Studies. The dismissal bell signaled the end of the day. Students excitedly rushed out the door, misplaced papers flying to the ground. Whew. I was exhausted as usual. My head throbbed and my feet ached.

I heard the faint clacking of steps down the hall and a sweet sound of laughter. A few moments later a rosy cheeked brunette walked in the door with my principal standing by her side. “This is your new student teacher, Mrs. Peterson. Angela is eager to work and learn alongside you this year.”

“Nice to meet you!” I greeted Angela, reaching my hand out for a gentle shake, forcing a smile and hoping it hid my lack of excitement.

After the introduction, my principal explained she was needed for a disciplinary issue regarding an incident that occurred on the bus. She apologized for the brief encounter and exited promptly. As I was left to get to know this young lady and spent time talking with her, I quickly realized what a joy she would be in the classroom and my enthusiasm grew.

“I believe that it is a true honor to teach and to be a small part of a child’s life. I believe that all children can learn. It is up to us as a teacher to discover how each child learns best and to meet them where they are. I believe that we are creating world changers through our kindness and vulnerability as we teach. We are blessed to be a part of something so wonderful.”

What a concept! Something that I held so dear in my fundamental beliefs just hit me as if it were brand new. We chatted a moment longer and both agreed that we were looking forward to the following day of working together. I couldn’t wait to call my mother and share about this new addition to my life.

“I think I just met the happiest person in the world! She has her purpose in life at the forefront of everything she does. Be kind and be real. She will change the world herself and I am so excited to be a part of it!” And just like that my stress melted away. I gained renewed strength on an old mission.