The Next Chapter

Before I sit down to write a blog post, I usually spend a few days writing it in my head. I think about what might be interesting to my friends and family, what pictures to include, and anything funny that has happened recently. 

This time, I don't know what to say. I've been trying to write it in my head for the last three days and just can't seem to find the right way to say it. I've been feeling a lot of different emotions, but at the same time I also don't think I've fully accepted that our daydream has just become a reality. 

A Saco sunset this week.

This week, I was offered a full time teaching position with the Bozeman School District.  I get to teach choir at Chief Joseph Middle School, and general music in an elementary school in the district. Josey is in the process of interviewing and applying for music jobs in the Bozeman/Belgrade area, so we are really hoping he also gets hired. We agreed that we would move back this year if one of us got a full time position. 

Even though this is super exciting news, I can hardly let myself experience that excitement, which is why I haven't shared this news until now. Josey and I needed to take a few days to let ourselves be sad about leaving the community and schools we've been a part of for the past two years.

When Josey and I graduated, we wanted adventure. We wanted to leave where we were comfortable and dive into the music teaching world. We somehow ended up in two of the smallest schools in the state, teaching K-12 music and other classes where needed. Even though we loved Bozeman, we knew we wanted to leave, at least for a little while, that way we could be sure that was where we wanted to be.

A beautiful wedding gift from my Grandma, hanging in our Saco home.

So, we drove 5 1/2 hours North-East and wound up in a beautiful home subsidized by the school district, in a town with dirt roads for streets. We were met with skepticism; we were brand new young teachers after all. Josey and I dove into our jobs, and our jobs became our lives for the last two years. We had each other, and for a little while we didn't have very many friends. I know that our communities have seen "our kind" come through before, the ones who are just here to get experience and then move on their way. 

Josey and I weren't just here for the teaching experience. Yes, we've been teaching, and yes we are a whole lot better at our craft than we were when we graduated from MSU two years ago.  But we were also here for the living experience. Being a part of a community, being a part of life in Saco, Montana. 

I never thought I could be so attached to a group of kids as I am to the 50 kids at Saco School. My small school teaching experience allowed me to connect with each and every one of the students at my school. Which is why it is so hard for me to leave it. Josey shares this same feeling - he is so invested in every individual at his school. He can tell you stories about every kid at Hinsdale School, and several things about that student that makes them unique and awesome. 

So here we are - the dream of teaching in Bozeman has become a reality, and although I am excited, I am very much sad; for myself, and for my school. I will miss all the kids, my staff, our friends here. But I am also down because there is a possibility that my school may not be able to find a music teacher to replace me, (or Josey in Hinsdale.) This is my call out - any music teachers out there who want to live in an awesome, inexpensive teacher house and only work 4 days a week, contact me, I have the perfect job (or jobs) for you! These kids are talented and want music in their lives!

Piano Recital cupcakes I made last weekend.

To my staff - thank you for befriending me, even though we knew we would be staying in the area permanently. You were supportive of all of my crazy ideas for pep assemblies and concerts, and you even agreed to participate in a teacher rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" when I had only been teaching for a few months. Thank you for your support as we move on to this next chapter in our lives.

To my students - thank you for teaching me how to be a better teacher. I learned how to play instruments with you, how to motivate you, how to negotiate with you. Although you weren't quite sure what to think of me at first, I know I could count on you to do your best, at least most of the time. ;) Please come visit us if you are in Bozeman, Mr. Q and I would love to see you. 

To our friends - thank you for taking a chance on us, even though you knew we might leave you. I know it is hard to leave friends, but it's even harder to be the friend that was left behind. Thank goodness for Facebook and texting, and road trips. 

I have learned a lot about teaching in small towns. I don't really believe that anyone gets a "better" education in a big school compared to a small school, or vice versa. Although there are many aspects that are wayyy different from a city school to a rural school, there is one thing that is can always be constant: Teachers who care about their students. Every classroom is diverse, and there are many factors that teachers can't control. The one thing I can do is show my students how much I want them to succeed. 

Student-made bulletin board in my classroom.

I want them to do the right thing, even when no one is watching, and I want them to learn from their mistakes. I want them to know that I am human too, and that it's okay to not be the best at something all of the time. I want kids to understand that they have to work at something if they want to get better at it, and that "it's good enough" is most definitely not actually good enough. Yes, I've been teaching students how to sing and play instruments, to create and listen, but most of all I hope I've given them the experience of being a part of something bigger, a musical team. 

We have already started packing for our move to Bozeman, as graduation is this weekend and school ends next week. It all seems to be going too fast, and I just want everything to slow down. I want to spend more time singing with my middle schoolers, laughing with my high schoolers, and playing with the elementary kids. Now I want more time with my students! I will enjoy every minute of our last week together.

I know that I can't stop time, so it is also time for me to wipe away my tears and get ready for the next chapter, the next adventure in our lives. The next step, logically, would be to find a place to live in Bozeman. I will be a nanny again this summer, and Josey will go back to landscaping for Bear Paw Landscapes. We will get to go back to our home church, Resurrection University Parish, and I'll again be able to go to Walmart whenever my heart pleases. We are excited for all of the ways we can get involved in the Bozeman community, and I am thrilled to be working for the Bozeman School District. 

As hard as it is to say goodbye, we just have to be thankful for the amazing experience we've had with the Saco Panthers, the Hinsdale Raiders, and the North Country Mavericks family. Thank you for the support, and for believing in us. Yes, a new chapter is starting, but we were blessed with so many great chapters with all of you. 

With love,

Chelsea (and Josey)