Forget me not

I keep finding myself in this weird world where I lie to myself and coerce my brain into believing that I am all caught up. Then, reality hits me in the face. The most recent casualty has been my Creative Writing class. I love them dearly, but I keep forgetting that they exist. Furthermore, I actually have to have them do things.

I say this and it seems like I don't ever do anything academic with them. That is not true. We get to do fun stuff that is also academic and my hope is that they really enjoy my class. Still, it doesn't erase the fact that I keep forgetting them! Most of the time, I find it hilarious. To be fair, I really enjoy this class. Most of the time they are on task or at the very least respectful and receptive to re-direction-ing.

I know I am not alone. I know that lots of teachers get behind. Mostly, I've just enjoyed how even though I've been behind, we have still been able to do some cool things. We have done poetry, short stories, plays, built lego creations for technical building and written letters to past and future selves. It is kind of awesome to see the span of creativity we get to experience. My biggest regret it that I didn't take pictures of the lego creations to show here.

Alright. I'll probably post again for Thanksgiving. Thanks, as always, for reading.

Any faithful readers left?

Alright. I know. It has been a while since I have posted. Something tells me this is going to be a theme. Last week marked week one of Quarter Two, if you can believe it. Now we are in November, which I have heard some call "No School November". This seems fairly accurate; thus, I embark on the wonderful journey that is attempting to engage my students and get them through material before Winter Break. Awesomeness.

First of all, end of quarter sucks. It is so busy and nuts. Then, you have the great and wonderful next quarter. For my students, that meant the "Oh shit, I actually have grades and need to do stuff" realization that has probably faded now that we have had a four day weekend. I love seeing some students have that realization because there is true hope in their eyes that they will change their behavior. Encouraging that hope is one of the best parts of the job.

With a new quarter came conferences. Now, let me just say a couple of things. First, this is not the first time I have done conferences, however it is the first time I have had to do it with my own merits. Also, we spent one day in an arena style set up and one alone in our rooms. For any teachers who are reading this, you know this is truth: conferences are some cruel exercise in marathon running. They are torturous. I loved meeting some of the parents and getting to make connections with faces from emails, etc. That part was awesome. I was also really lucky in that almost 100% of parent interactions were positive. Also awesome. The parents who came to conferences were generally the ones who were truly interested in their kids' education and future. The flip side was that I wanted to be able to give thorough feedback to all of them. Time-wise, that was nearly impossible.

Highlights? The first highlights were the looks on the parents' faces who seemed to understand that I felt like I was running a marathon. Most laughed at my fast talking and were really kind in asking me to slow down. Choking on my own spit in front of one parent, having to run out and ask one parent to wait because "oh my goodness I have to use the restroom but I promise I will be right back!", shaking because I had waaaaayyyy too much coffee and not enough food, or the genuine positive feedback parents gave me with phrases like "________ really likes you" and "English teachers have always butted heads with ___________ but he/she really likes you and your class". That feedback makes me want to keep learning from these kids and improving my skills as a teacher.

Admittedly, there are a lot of aspects about this job and this year that are kicking my butt. I know, every teacher I have spoken says that the first year is tougher than tough. And if you can survive the first three years, then you are awesome. With all of the crazy, it is so great to get the positive feedback. I really enjoy it a lot.

Now, because I am also trying to expand my horizons and learn from my peers, I have been looking at a bunch of teacher blogs and such. Mostly, it helps when you know there are others going though similar things or with similar visions. I found a blog called Love, Teach. Love, Teach is written by a fellow English teacher with an array of stories that I have really enjoyed going through. If I have any readership left, you should check out this blog.

A Reminder of the Positives

Okay,

A reminder that there are always positives and silver linings. My list of things that have made me smile this week:

• My very small seventh period class that has a host of characters who crack wise and make me smile.
• The boy in fourth period who put himself into timeout after being kind of ridiculous.
• The student who said that my class was the reason she came to school.
• The third period class that was quiet for announcements two days in a row!
• The PLC meeting where we ate breadsticks, chips and dip, held babies, looked at flying squirrel pictures with a then-8 year old and still made SMART goals.
• The department team full of people who listen to the good, bad and ugly without judgement, and then provide therapy via food, alcohol, laughter, commiseration or a combination of all of those. 
• Living alone and being able to pass out on my couch at 6pm without judgement. 
• This video going around the world:

So, there is laughter and silver linings. This week had a lot of lows, and it is so easy to get lost in those. I have to force myself to remember that there are incredibly positives things as well.

Grading Blues, Student Goldens

I have got to say, this week starting out SO incredibly positive. My hardest class was decently behaved and I even got to hear the announcements on both Monday and Tuesday. It was shocking, a miracle in fact. I was flying high by the end of the day...sure I had mountains of grading and tons of planning to do, but my students were well behaved and some were even working. AWESOME. 

I love little moments with students, my "golden" moments if you will. Moments when they understand a concept or get excited about a project or about what we are reading right now (The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros). I love when they share funny little insights or stories with me, or when they crack jokes. I love the few who pick up trash from my floor simply to be kind, or jump in helping me move desks for the PSATs just because they can. I try very hard to reward those kids, sometimes in front of others if I can, so that they know to continue that positive behavior. Those are moments that I live for. 

Then there are days like today. Days when the students and their apathy get me down. Please don't tell me (unless you are an educator) that it is my job to have some of that apathy dissipate. I'm aware, thank you. Doesn't mean that it isn't exhausting. It is exhausting to try to be passionate when students don't give you anything back. Veteran teachers, I ask you this; how do you combat this? Is my feeling of melancholy simply because I am not dedicated enough? I don't think so, I feel highly dedicated to my profession. I believe in the work I do, but I don't believe in forcing students to learn. 

The culture shock is...tough. That is for sure. But, it isn't just that. This is my first year teaching, and so much is overwhelming. The internet is a beautiful place, so finding lesson plan ideas isn't too difficult. Still though, it takes time. So does grading. Ugh, grading is the worst. Especially as an English teacher. I am so behind, and I hate it. My current stack of grading is:

I am slowly working through everything. Still though...not easy. I know, I know. I will get into a groove. As the years go by, grading will be easier and planning will be less stressful. I get that. I am so aware. I don't need someone to tell me this. Knowing that something is normal, knowing that you will get through it, that isn't always enough. Sometimes, stuff just sucks and you have to vent and get it out there. Sometimes you need to call to other people in your profession and say, "hey, is this what you are dealing with too?" 

Alright. There is my rant. I tried to have a combo of positive and negative too. Thanks, as always, for reading.

Spirit Days

I believe in Spirit Days. I believe in a positive school culture. It is hard to not compare where I am teaching to my own high school experience because we had so much school spirit at my school. I have never been to a place that has basically no school spirit.

That being said, I have tried to actively get involved in projects and groups that have primarily goals meant to move toward improving the school culture. One key thing, I believe, is having spirit days. Traditionally, spirit days are on big important days for major sports, or leading up to homecoming (at least in my experience). This school takes homecoming very seriously. So, it should come as no surprise that they are doing a spirit week.

Today is "freaky friday" which means that students are meant to dress "their opposite". Naturally, my students took that to mean "cross dressing", to use their vernacular. To be completely honest, while I have lived a somewhat sheltered life, I still think I've experienced some fairly offensive things. However, this day I have witness more offensive things than I have ever seen. I have never been so upset.

Part of me feels like I should be more loose. By now, I know what town I live in. Besides, no one else seems as bothered as I am . Not my fellow teachers, students, nor administration. So, why am I so upset? Is it because I have been taught my whole life about the importance of equality? Is it because a core part of my belief system is tolerance and acceptance; which includes not mocking other people's way of life. Perhaps it is gestures and comments where the boys who dressed female mock my gender, or the people who pretend to be another race and make comments about eating fried chicken. I know I am in a small town. I know where I am. So, why am I so bothered?

I am bothered because this is the first time that I feel like there has been a direct assault on my belief system. A belief system that I am used to being supported. I do not blame anyone here. I do not lay fault on people. If anything, in typical fashion, I blame myself. I blame myself for allowing myself to get so upset. I hate that I am so upset. I hate that this is me. I hate that I know this is something that will happen often, especially as long as I teach in places outside of my comfort zone.

The positive part, I am learning so very much. Learning has always been so important to me, so i am glad to be learning here.

Long, long week.

It has been a while since I have posted. Partly because the last few days have not been great. Sometimes it is so hard not to get bogged down in the awfulness of this profession. I don't know if I will ever understand a country with as much drive as the U.S. being so unwilling to improve education. From Pre-kindergarten, through high school, into college (both undergraduate and beyond) up into the teacher level there needs to be more support. More money towards resources, more pay to those who are willing to dedicate themselves to the profession. More support and money to those in school. If you are a student, especially in higher education, it is almost like you get punished for wanted to improve your way of life. In some ways, I can understand why people see little to no value in education. Education can suck, but knowledge is awesome.

This is the mindset this week has left me in. Monday started out ridiculous, Tuesday I saw the empirical evidence of just how much of  a pay cut I took from a non-education, semi-non professional (no college degree necessary) job to this one. Wednesday was a wasted hour and a half meeting when I could truly use that time to catch up on grading and planning (who couldn't use it at this time of year?) and today is a loss of prep time. Most of this is not bad individually. Add all of this together, along with my growing sense of isolation and homesickness and it makes for a pretty rough week.

It makes me wonder why I am in this profession. Like so many teachers, I put in long days, non-contract time to help with clubs, and weekends. So, it is frustrating to not feel compensated or appreciated. The culture shock has not helped matters. Students who don't understand why I would ask them to work, who have no problem telling me how to teach, who think they are my friends and can give me advice. I get it, this is a sign of the times. I understand my generation and those below us are not always awesome. I know, it is up to us as teachers, and up to parents, to help improve things. Still, it can be really tough.

Then I have students who seemed to have really responded to me. I looked super down when I got my paycheck (yay anxiety attack in front of a small class), and one of my students came up to me later and said "Ms. C, I feel like I need to punch someone for making you upset." While not quite an appropriate reaction, still super sweet. Another student has come to trust me enough to ask for advice about dealing with her anger issues and asking about resources to help to talk to her mom about certain issues. I love being able to point kids in directions of people who can help them, or being able to laugh with them. One student made me crack up when he suggested the class do an adaptation of the short story "The Sniper" turned into a musical (this is a rather morose story so the idea of a musical would be hilarious). It is those little moments that make me laugh and remember that I have to be in it for the students.

My worry is that, this is my first year and I am rather young. I can't be this jaded so soon. I'm sorry to be a downer. I am trying to hard to pull myself up. It is a mindset, and I will be fair; today is a much better day than the previous ones. So, there is always a silver lining. Thanks for reading!

The rain has come...

Hello friendlies! So sorry it has been a little bit since I have posted. Busy busy busy, as I'm sure everyone is.

Well, the rain has finally come. Thankfully, it won't last forever. Being the coast, there will definitely be some sun later this week. So many culture shocks have come with moving here. It is great to be learning so much, but hard sometimes too.

Yesterday was not a great day. It was just one of those things where one thing just set off a string of bad mood bad day stuff. My third period has been my most challenging yet. I have tried many "teacher techniques" and they are still frustrating. Most days, they aren't awful. It is a wonderful learning experience. Sadly, I almost never talk to people on the good days. It is always in those week moments. I am lucky enough to have a pretty fantastic support system.

I will say, today has been much better. I left my third period class yesterday and said "tomorrow will be a better day". I think some of them took that to heart. By far, it was the best day in the last few weeks. So, yay for the positives. Let us hope that there are more happy days than not so happy ones. In truth, I know there will be.

Alright, I'll try to be a little more interesting in my next post. Hope all is well with everyone (or the two or three that read this).

Oh wonderful moments....

So, one of the coolest things about being a teacher, especially an English teacher, is that I get to bring in works that I am truly passionate about. Some of them are works that I actually read for the first time when I was my students' age and they resonated with me. The first instance where I have been able to do that has been with our short story and poetry unit. I brought in Ursula K. LeGuin's short story "The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas"(which can be read by clicking here). I also had them read Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" (which can be seen here). If you saw my earlier post, you'll note that Frost's poem is my favorite poem.

Now, I love my choices and I feel like I was justified in picking them. What I forgot is that some things mentioned in the short story may not be appropriate for all audiences. So, of course, my students picked up on that. Awesome. It was all fine and good until my principal came in today to observe a class. It was awesome because this particular class had a huge debate about the protagonist and antagonist (something NONE of my other classes had done)....then they started mentioning the inappropriate parts. I started sweating like nobody's business.

To be fair, I have talked extensively with my amazing department (I can't fail to mention that my department is so awesome, we have started color coordinating in the dorky way we do and documenting via photos). They have talked to me about my motivations and everything. I don't think I'll get in trouble, but it is still just so awkward. If I could have turned a bright shade of red, I probably would have.

I will say this; today was kind of frustrating. However, it was beyond wonderful to end with such an amazing conversation/ debate and have my students really respond and be into something. I loved it and it makes me excited to build in debates in the future. Okay...that is all for now. Thanks to those of you who continue to read!

What a difference a body makes!

My students crack me up. I told a few of them today about a child I used to watch when I worked at a daycare. This kid was awesome but often found himself doing things he shouldn't. When he would do something "bad', he would crack a joke or start laughing. He was adorable. It made it hard to get after him. Many of my students are the same way.

I have seen it time and time again, but it never ceases to amaze me. One student or two students can change the entire dynamic of a room. It is so funny to watch how students change how they interact both with me and one another. It is the same as when there is another teacher in the room. Today, in my hardest class [this class is difficult for me to manage, lots of different behaviors and definitely a learning experience for me] I got to have a second adult in there. What an incredible difference. We did a Gallery Walk and it actually wasn't a disaster. I was shocked.

My Creative Writing class consistently makes me crack up. They are working on a poetry packet; one student has his overall theme being tacos. A group of students today did a brief stint of Batman impressions (Chris Nolan versions) including Bane and Joker impressions. They were awesome and I laughed.

Sometimes we just need to laugh. I get so frustrated, it is hard to remember to smile. I'm working on relaxing a little and not taking things too personally. It is difficult, but hopefully people can see that I am truly learning a lot.

Happy Monday!

"Ms. Colburn, that is a contradiction."

"No, I am just trying to convince myself that it is a happy monday."

Mondays are hard. No way around that. So, since I am here having a serious case of the Mondays, I thought I would share what I did this weekend. Slowly but surly my classroom is coming together. This week most of my classes will be working on Literary Terms along with their short stories/ poetry unit. So, I am trying to get them ready for all of that.

Take a look at some of the pictures:

Here is my wall of posters. I got this idea from a teacher who was in my room before me. He had ordered posters from another website. I used a free poster maker online (where you pay for the poster to be made and sent to you but not for the software) and had these done. [Poster maker used is Poster My Wall]

I kind of made a Shakespeare/ poetry wall. This wall has a poster for the Kenneth Branagh version of Hamlet and then Shakespeare's head made with the titles of many of his works. Then, a poster of my favorite poem, Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken".

Finally, I have a picture of the pared down version of reading strategies I am teaching this week. Again, this is crazy whittled down, but it is the basics. 

Comment with what you think. If you are a teacher, do you have better reading strategies? How do you have students interact with their texts? Do you have a place you use for posters? Ideas about where to get free stuff? Let me know! 

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Okay, lets be real. This has been a long week! So, I thought I would post something a little fun and lighthearted. One of my colleagues shared this with me and it made me laugh.

Happy Friday ladies and gentlemen! Have a great weekend!

Sometimes my heart hurts...

Sometimes my heart hurts. I read what some of my students write and I want to scoop them up and tell them that they are worthy, smart, kind. Sometimes I see a student who seems to put together, then writes something sad and I remember. I remember what high school was like for me, I remember how teachers didn't see me. I remember days when it felt like no one saw me. It hurts, but then I get angry and inspired. I strive to be the teacher who sees her students, even when it is annoying to them. I strive to be the teacher who hears the sadness and struggles to show students that there is greatness in them.

It is the 13th Anniversary of 9/11 today. I had my creative writing class respond to a poem written by a man whose brother should have been in the Twin Towers but survived. I then had them write a poem that would be their last message to a loved one. Finally, I asked them to write their own Eulogies. I know, super depressing. It was interesting to have them think about these seemingly outlandish situations. It was also interesting to hear their responses.

All of my students directed their "last words poem" towards a parent. Some expressed gratitude, some forgiveness, others regret. One student, who I have only known for a short time but seems to be one of the most kind students I have ever come across, wrote about how sorry they were to be a disappointment to their parent. This made my heart hurt because this student is so kind, smart, helpful and generous. I had a student express forgiveness towards a parent who was not there for them. How sad that children must not only grow into a world that is unforgiving, but have parents who fail them.

I have students who drive me crazy. Today, a small group of students made me check myself. These wonderful creatures are so tough. They can withstand far more than we give them credit for. They shouldn't have to. We should not teach them simple survival, we need to teach them how to thrive in this world. How to make this world a better place, instead of allowing an increase in awfulness.

On this day of remembrance, I remember how I felt on 9/11. I remember the innocence I felt prior to that fateful day; then I see some of the innocence and hope reflected in my students' eyes. Let us get that hope back, let us all strive to improve this world and our role in it.

Okay...sorry to be so preachy. I just wanted to get out my initial reactions to reading my students' writing on this topic. Thanks everyone. As always, please comment.

Needing that smile!

I feel like every teacher in the U.S. has the ability to lament about teacher pay. It sucks. My favorite argument is that teachers shouldn't get paid much because they are just "glorified babysitters". Well, in all honesty, I'd love to get paid like a babysitter. I would love to be paid an hourly wage plus an extra amount per child I teach (I only have a measly 160 students but still). Furthermore, I'd love to be on an hourly wage so that I could get paid for the 12 hour days and weekends. That would be awesome. Yesterday, I found out that due to a counting snafu, I will be bumped into a lower pay bracket than I originally was in. While the decrease doesn't sound significant, when my budget is already tight, I'm certainly not a fan of less money.

Due to that wonderful news, my mood hasn't been the best. I want to be very clear; I am not in this profession for the money. The rest of this post will attest to that. However, I would love to be able to make a livable wage (something I am aware many people struggle with more than I do). Since my mood has be dour, I needed a pick me up. In comes my fourth period class. It is a small, creative writing class of mostly upperclassmen. They were a hoot and a half today! We got work done on poetry, but it was pepper with outbursts of songs ranging from Bastille's Pompeii to a wonderful rendition of "Call Me Maybe" which was sung by a boy who at first glance did not seem like a Carly Ray Jepsen fan. They were my redemption today.

With all of the budget issues, pay issues, curriculum and behavior issues, I strive to remember the funny times. I love when my students make me laugh. I love seeing them become passionate about something or really get into something. It is so much fun and I clutch those memories close to my heart.

Funny People

My head feels like it weighs a million pounds, my voice goes in and out, I have a cough that makes me gag and some student sprayed perfume in my room so everything is exacerbated.

Getting over that, my students sometimes crack me up. Today was...well I don't want to say that it was a redeeming day, but it definitely had it's moments. I find myself consistently dealing with a sense of culture shock. Today, one of my students asked me if I was "from the ghetto" because of my usage of the word "ain't" and some of my accents. There is a part of me that is ridiculously offended; mostly I could only sit back for a second and roll my eyes.

I have to laugh at their ridiculousness because what else can I do? They drive me crazy, and their chattiness and lack of listening is going to make me go batty. Sometimes though, their silliness is just endearing. I cling to the little moments because things have been crazy lately. I cling to the silliness of the students because I have to remember that I got into the profession of teaching for the students. I have to remember that no matter how low the students are and no matter how snarky they are, my job is to teach them. My job is to work hard and give them my all.

Alright, I wanted to give a more light hearted update since my last one was kind of sad. Happy Monday!

First Week of School: Friday

What a week this has been! I have learned so much this week, it is unbelievable (almost). The day is only half over and already I am exhausted. I'd like to say that I'm exhausted in the best way, but I'm struggling.

Honesty time: my attitude sucks right now. I know that it'll get better, and I know that this is part of life. Still, it's hard. I've been very disillusioned this week, and while I am glad for the learning experience, it's put me in a mood. So, I am so sorry but this blog post may not be as upbeat as other posts.

Lets start with the positive though. I have found amazing support here in a lot of ways. The administrators have checked in with me multiple times this week, which has been really nice. They are very willing to help in whatever way they can. The realist in me recognizes that really, they are hindered by the nature of their job. They can't possibly spend a lot of time mentoring me because they have so very much to do. The pessimist in me wonders how long this support will last. I have also found support (as I've mentioned before) in the form of my department. We are a small district/ school so there are only four of us in the department. This is really nice because we can form a cohesive group.

The hardest part of this week has been...well okay one of the hardest parts of this week has been the culture shock. Part of me honestly believed I was prepared; part of me was trying to keep an open mind about what I'd find. I think most of me was just so spoiled and so wrapped up in the culture I grew up in that I really didn't believe it would be that different. What does that even mean? It means that I grew up in a place where the district and all of the surrounding districts had very diverse populations. These different groups were generally very in touch with their own culture and proud of it. Furthermore, students tended to be fairly open (especially at young ages) to learning about other perspectives and cultural groups. I don't find that as much here. Now, I want to be very clear: there are wonderful people here and wonderful students. There are some with open minds and a willingness to be exposed and learn from different perspectives. What I refer to mostly is the overall climate that I've been exposed to thus far.

I needed a new experience, this is true. So, I am glad that I have come to a place that is so different. I've enjoyed getting to hear different perspectives as we've been doing multiple ice breaker activities. For example, we did a peer interview and this is where I heard things that were somewhat alarming. It is just jarring to have such a difference.

During grad school, we learned about the importance of creating a specific type of community within your classroom. We learned that we, as teachers, set the tone. Still, sometimes (and I know, it is only week one) it feels like I'm swimming up stream. I need to be a leader (or one of the leaders) in my school, I need to be joiner. I know this. The knowledge of what I need to do does not in any way make it easier to do so.

All in all, it has just been an incredibly long week. I know things will get better. I truly have met some wonderful people (staff and students). I can see both the wonderful things that were already in place here and the bright future that this school has. I'm just working on surviving the fire swamp so I can reach the brightly lit forest (props to those who understand the reference). Sorry to be such a downer, I'll try to be more positive in the future.

Day 1: COMPLETE

I feel like I ran a marathon. Or, at least what I imagine I would feel like I would feel post running a marathon. We ended our day with a PLT (a.k.a PLC) meeting and the entire time I felt like my brain was in a fog. Thankfully, I am not alone.

I did finish my first full day of teaching, which I am so excited about. I definitely have an interesting mix of students and no doubt there will be anonymous stories about them. For the most part, they seem like such awesome kids. I teach mostly Freshmen, so, many of them were kind of "deer in the headlights" today because they were getting used to getting to their classes on their own and with the halls more crowded.

Already, I have learned a lot. Throughout the day I improved and I just hope to continue getting better. There are definitely things that I worry about though; there are issues that have already presented themselves. Things I struggle with thus far, in regards to students:

• multiple levels of learning in one room
• classes with high levels of IEPs
• classroom management with classes of predominantly 14/15 yr old males
• noise levels in a class with high ceilings and an echo

I know these are things many teachers struggle with. Still...definitely things to work on. Sorry, I feel like I have been a major downer during this post. There are some really exciting things, and I can't wait to get to the know the kids more. At this point, I think the exhaustion is just overwhelming. I have had multiple jobs in my life, but I have never had a job that requires both physical and mental abilities all of the time for 8 hours straight. Not including the time after school when I stay until 8pm planning and trying to get things in order. Ugh, okay. Enough whining for now. I will try to sound way more upbeat on my next post.

As always, thanks for reading.

Classroom!

Alrighty. Here it is friendlies. I feel like these pictures don't really do it justice, but essentially, here are the before and afters of my classroom (OMG my classroom!!!)

AFTER:

        Still some work to do, I have a lot of blank space. I know that will come though.  

BEFORE:

Okay, what you can't see as well is that the room was full of boxes of junk and books. It was kind of used as a dumping ground. So, I had to use most of my "prep" time to clean it out. I (with some wonderful help) organized the books, got rid of a lot of the clutter, had someone paint one of the bulletin boards fully blue (one of the school's colors) and a strip on another board to cover up where someone painted "2009-2010 Yearbook". I got rid of a podium, added a new podium, took down a lot of the stuff on the walls, re-organized the desks and added my own touches here and there. I still plan to cover up the hideous chalkboard in the back and I have a blank bulletin board still up front and right outside of my classroom. More things are coming though. At least this way, I am semi-prepared for students to walk into my classroom tomorrow. Thank bananas for soft starts! 

Inspiration

There is SO much out there about teaching and things meant to inspire teachers. As we approach the first day of school, one can imagine how much I reach for these inspirational things. I reach with a hope that I can grasp just one more technique, suppress just a few more fears. In the middle of trying to re-educate myself about different novels and concepts, I try to claw myself out of the pit of "things to do" that keeps threatening to bury me. Thus, I stumble upon this video. If you are an educator needing some inspiration, or a parent who has had some bad experiences with teachers, or anyone in between I encourage you to watch this video. This woman reminds us that forming connections is key, and that students (even the lowest scoring) are more intelligent than they are often given credit for being.
Rita Pierson: Every kid needs a champion

Praising the mentors!

Oh my gosh. The phrase TGIF has rarely meant so much as it has today to me. At the same time, Freshman start Tuesday and I feel like I am no where near ready. I cannot even believe the craziness of this week. On one hand, I look around my classroom [I still can't help but let out a gleeful giggle at the sound of "my classroom"] and I can see the changes I have made. I have all cork boards decked out in the school colors. I have books that are semi-organized. I have trays of things and jars of things. I have a few things on the wall (more decorations to come). The flip side though is that I also see all of the things yet to be done. There is still the matter of all of the blank space on my walls and my desk. Not to mention the small task of planning.

One of the hardest things I struggle with is the planning. Like many teachers, I want my classes to be both challenging and fun. Common Core being what it is, I am lucky enough to have a decent amount of flexibility with regards to my curriculum. As a new teacher, that is both crazy exciting and nerve wracking. I have to make sure I am having fun, but also preparing my students to have the skills they will need to be successful for the rest of their high school experience and post high school (whether that be in college or career or both). Thus, it is curriculum that is one of a few stress-inducers at this point.

This anxiety brings me to the point of today's post. I cannot believe how incredibly lucky I have been. While many of my cohort mates had one or both of their cooperating teachers be less than stellar during their student teaching, mine were both amazing. I was able to have two cooperating teachers who had 20+ years of experience under their belts and were not only incredible people but absolutely talented teachers. I learned so much working with both of them, one of whom I have been able to stay in contact with. She has been a phenomenal resource (and in a fun twist I am teaching many of the same subjects she teaches this year). When we spoke about me getting a "real" teaching job, I asked her who I would go to with questions. She said that in every building I am in, I should try to find at least one person who is more experienced than me who I can talk to. They do not have to be in your content area, just someone who you can bounce ideas off of and talk to. I don't know about anyone else, but that still sounded hard. In theory, that seemed really logical: of course someone new should have an experienced mentor. However, I am someone who doesn't find it easy to be social or make friends. So, I was super scared coming into this job.

Day one of my new job, I came in late because I got lost. Living in a town where I work literally two minutes from where I live, I recognize how sad it was that I got lost. I sat down next to a woman who was new to the district, like me, and little did I realize how things would go. It turns out, this wonderful lady has had 10 years of teaching experience, loads of education, and is a really fun person. I don't know where our friendship will lead, but I can say that I would not have made it through this week without her. She has given (and continues to give) me so much support. All of my questions about curriculum and how certain things work she has been able to answer and/or problem solve with me. Yet, while being in this mentor role (that I very much so thrust her into) she still treats me as an intelligent being, like a colleague. It has be so incredibly wonderful to have made this connection, I don't even have the words to say how grateful I am.

There are many times when I question my luck/karma/whatever you want to call it. I fall a lot, and choke on my own spit. In a memorable occasion today I literally dribbled coffee out of my mouth. Yet, with all of that I will say I have lucked out. I have two administrators at this school who are supportive and innovative without being invasive. I have a department that, so far, has gained a great report and has a ton of cohesive ideas on how to invigorate the curriculum here. Like I said in my last post, I am still nervous and scared. I have many "what ifs" in my brain. The silver lining is that I am also excited. I have been so fortunate to have met some truly wonderful people here and begin to build a spectacular professional support team. This means the world to me.

Okay, I end this post with this: I have so far (in my three whole days of having this blog) posted every day. I doubt I'll keep that up. I will not commit to a regular posting schedule, but I will try to post as often as I can. I encourage you to leave comments if you have them, especially if you have questions or if you yourself are in the education system (or know someone who is) and have any tips. I wish I didn't have to include this but, while I am asking for comments, I prefer constructive criticism, questions or positive comments. Please be respectful of both me and one another.

Alrighty, thanks for reading everyone...slash Mom.

In-Service Blues

Oh the in-service blues, how loudly I sing you. I feel like the last few days have run me ragged leaving me with the feeling that this week has been both super long and not long enough. I know that so many of my colleagues feel the same way. Meetings on top of meetings, and then trying to handle my classroom. I promise, I'll post a before and after picture of my classroom. I'm at that point where I just want to be done.

However, there are some really exciting things. For example, my classroom is coming together. I love that so many of my dearest dreams are coming to fruition; that includes my dreams of how I wanted my classroom to look. Now, I still have a super ugly, semi-unusable chalkboard along my back wall. In contrast though I have four large "whiteboards" and hopefully soon a working projector and doc cam. I have my pencils and other supplies all lined up. Along with turn in baskets and some of the other nerdy paraphernalia that teachers put into their rooms. I don't have a lot of wall decorations, but I know that will come.

I am so incredibly excited about the team I get to work with. There are four of us in my department, and while I only got to meet one very briefly (lucky lady is on maternity leave for the beginning of the year craziness), I am still so excited. We get along well, have a lot of fun ideas about what to do with students and curriculum. Plus, who doesn't like to have friends/ colleagues who you can not only bounce ideas off of but also joke around with? As tired and incredibly nervous as I am, I am trying to cling to that excitement I hold for this new year.

Alright, I leave with what part of my "to-do" pile looked like yesterday:

Why I am here.

Hello friendlies! 

I want to start out by saying that I am new. I am new to teaching and new to blogging. I'm not super great at this stuff, but I'm going to try. I started out this summer, like so many teachers, completely unsure of what my job status would be come September. Also like so many of my colleagues, I applied to a lot of jobs. And I mean, a lot of jobs. I got many denials, and two interviews. I loved interviewing simply for the experience. I hated the wait after to see if I was going to be offered the job. 

Long story short (sometime I'll probably tell the saga that was the days surrounding the interview for my current position) I got a job! Whew! My very first job. I officially became a high school English teacher. Within two weeks I had quit a job I had been at for eight years, packed up my place and moved 350 miles down south within the state to my new home. These first few days have been...overwhelming for sure. They have also been full of learning new things, meeting wonderful people and really getting excited about the new year. 

Okay, now to be honest. I am also scared out of my mind. I am assured by my more experienced colleagues that this is completely normal. Well, normal it may be, but that doesn't help temper the absolute panic that courses through my veins. It is hard though because like I said, I also have this burning hot excitement for the new year and this new adventure. The bright side is that I do know what I am teaching (9th Grade English and Creative Writing) and I am lucky enough to be in both a district and building that has given me a ton of support. Plus, I have heard nothing but positive things about the group of students we have (and really, isn't it all about the students?). 

So, why blog about it? There are a few reasons: first, I tend to process via writing and my hope is that this will be a forum to help problem solve. Second, I recognize that blogging is an extremely popular thing and many new teachers blog which makes this blog somewhat like a salmon in a river of other salmons; I also recognize that there may be others who can help me and who I may be able to help. We all have different perspectives and it is important to be able to reach them all. Also, I am toying with the idea of having my students blog, so I want to practice it and see if I agree with the format first.

My hope is that people do read this blog (even if the only person to read it is my mother). I will probably rant a bit, hopefully share some cool things in my classroom and some fun (anonymous) stories from my students and both give and receive some excellent advice. So, if you are interested, hopefully I'll post often and you enjoy the journey of my teaching life. 

Thanks!
Jo