Emerald, Black, and Gold

According to one of the boys in my first period (and several other kind observers), I looked like a leprechaun today. I guess the gold accents didn't really help my case.

In any event, I was comfortable and professional.

Today, I had planned to write about some witty topics like "the benefits of an hour commute" or "trends I just can't follow," but I need a moment, folks. Today was a tough day. Thankfully, my mom let me have a cry while I stood in her living room, recounting what pained me today. In an attempt to avoid revealing too much, I'll just say that I found out distressing news about two of my students from last year. As a result, I wanted to discuss the following:

"What they didn't tell me before I became a teacher..."

They didn't tell me that my Saturday mornings would revolve around misplaced modifiers and verb tense shift, not cartoons. 

They didn't tell me that my lunch would never be my lunch as long as students felt more comfortable in my room than the lunch room. 

They didn't tell me that my heart would spend so much time in pain because it was breaking with sadness or filling with pride. 

They certainly didn't tell me that I would spend so much of my time worrying and crying over the welfare of so many children who are not technically my own. 

They didn't tell me that my most important teaching tool would not be in the content of my lessons but rather in the contents of my heart. 

Every day, I find that the most valuable "fact" I communicate with students is that I care.

I care about the people they are now,

the people they plan to be,

and the people they are capable of becoming. 

I feel a bit better now that I've typed these words.

I hope you don't mind my getting a bit mushy today.

Without further ado, here is today's outfit.  

Outfit Deets:

Coat: LOFT (old--this one is $200, but it's gorgeous)

Top & Necklace: NY & Co. 

Skirt: LOFT (recent, but this pleated maxi is pretty)

Belt: Target

Flats: Qupid via ModCloth (exact)