Everyone has those days where they would rather stay and bed and do nothing. For me that day was last week. The holiday joy had finally worn off and Montpellier began to look grim. It was cold and raining, and I was sneezing every other second. As Monday rolled around the corner I questioned if I should show up to work or not (after all, I only live about 5 feet away from my school). At 10 am, I hesitantly rolled out of bed and went to work.

I'll be honest with you and tell you that sometimes teaching can have its challenges. Sometimes students wont listen (no matter how many times you tell them to be quiet) or teachers forget that you are supposed to come into work. Good moods can be crushed in a second by a rowdy student or power points gone wrong because of technical difficulties. But then there are the days in which you expected everything to go wrong. That day you really wanted to stay in bed,  magically becomes one of your favorite teaching days.

That was last Monday. On the day that I didn't want to go into school, somehow my kids decided to be angles and made me realize why I was here in France. Though I'm not 100% sure if I want to be a teacher just yet, this program has made me feel grateful for my teachers that I've had in the past. It might not have been obvious at times during school, but their lessons and perspectives on the world shaped who I am as a person, and more specifically a teacher abroad. I've gained a new found appreciation for all people who work in schools. The countless hours of work they put in and the lack of respect they receive from students. Though this job might not be the most glamorous in the world, I have found it to be the most rewarding.

Until next time,