First Time You Felt Grown Up

I started teaching in 2002. My first job was teaching a 5th/6th grade split in Orem, Utah. I was excited. And scared. And lucky.

The staff I began teaching with was completely supportive and wonderful. My first classroom had no supplies in it, and every time I entered the building there were supplies at the door for me. People at the school smiled, loved kids, put in extra hours, and did extra reading to improve their teaching.

I was 22, but to many of the veteran teachers, I still looked 16 (sometimes still do). Nonetheless, they gave me a great deal of respect. I realized that I had "made it" as a grown-up when one of the veteran teachers said to call him Doug.

Doug? I'd was a lot more comfortable with "Mr. Turner", and continued to call him that until I couldn't use the excuse of not remembering his first name anymore. At that point I admitted to myself that I had officially joined the ranks of the teachers.