It's All About Time and Dedication

I think a blog post is overdue, but time has seemed to be so precious lately. Between having grades and lesson plans due every week (yes, my wonderful principal requires lesson plans by 7:45 Monday mornings and grades due at 3:30 in the afternoon) I feel like my time is limited. And no, my parenthetical comment is not sarcastic. I really do believe my principal is wonderful and can approach him for anything. Seriously, in the first month of school I have been in his office trying to figure out student behavior, asking about changing curriculum, ordering dictionaries, increasing yearbook prices, and coaching positions. He has never turned me away or set my questions aside as unimportant. However, the deadline on grades and lessons kicks my butt, even on weekends.


Don't get me wrong, I see the benefits of them being due. It forces me to stay on top of my work and having final grades posted on time won't be a problem, but when I take a break from my Saturday grading--yes, I grade Saturday and plan Sunday--and look at my "friends" on Facebook, I can't help but be jealous.
I see girls dolled up and going out with their significant other. Last weekend my boyfriend and I went for dinner and were home and asleep by 10. I was exhausted. Last night I stayed at school until six trying to complete "busy" tasks that I can't seem to finish on the regular school day, like organizing my classroom library. Yes, if I let it go the students probably wouldn't care, but I do. I believe in demonstrating organization so that they see the importance of being organized and prepared. After leaving school, I drove over an hour to get to my boyfriend's place only to find that the weekend had started for them and wanted to go out after supper.
I was exhausted. Sitting around the house wasn't fun because I wanted to be in bed sleeping. But I also wanted to be up and spend quality time with my boyfriend and his friends. Sadly, this stressed me out. I was on the verge of tears from exhaustion and desire to not be tired. Thankfully, caffeine (which I NEVER drank before my-big-girl job) kicks in and I was able to  have a good night.
But today I find myself sitting at his kitchen table grading 7th and 8th grade paragraphs, essay outlines, bellwork, and creative writing. He was doing engineering  homework so we were at least together. Now he's gone to scout for ducks and I continue to grade (and write this blog).Maybe it's the school district, maybe it's administration expectations. Maybe it's teaching personality and personal expectations. Perhaps the next four weeks I'll learn the secret. 

For now, I did receive good news that my hard work is paying off. Even though my students complain that I make them write too much ("This class should be called writing." Uh hmm...English is writing.), my principal tells me that they report positively on my class. My first formal observation and evaluation meeting have taken place and I'm on the right track. Yay! (I was jumping up and down in my head when my principal shared his evaluation.) It'll all come together one day at a time.




I took a break to find my friends on Facebook. I see my other teaching friends are at Octoberfest festivities, apple orchards, and pumpkin patches. They look put together (as I sit here in my sweat pants and baggy sweatshirt) and wonder, "What am I doing wrong?" Or is the question, "What am I doing differently?" Perhaps, "What's the secret?"

First week of school is dun. I mean done!

Tomorrow is the beginning of the second week of school. Yes, I made it through the first week of school as a first year teacher. And...I learned a lot. Possibly more than my students.

I've always been a planner. I like to plan for the future. Living in the moment has always been difficult for me. Well, teachers have to live in the moment. With a class in front of me, I can't worry about supper or even the next class period. I need to be with my class at that time and moment and help them to understand the lesson of the day, not tomorrow's. I need to respond to their needs and their responses at that time.

Still smiling after my first day of teaching.

Teachers are also not forgetful. When I was in elementary school, I remember thinking that my teacher's forgot a lot of stuff. Between remembering my current lesson plans, those that I'm going to teach tomorrow, meetings, student names, and even taking attendance, I frequently can't wrap my mind around the little details that I'm supposed to remember, like what I ate for breakfast or even lunch.

My first week of lessons were mostly part of get-to-know-you and team work activities. These exhausted me. The students were very active and talkative, which I did expect. The only time my 7th and 8th graders didn't talk was when I told them that they had to complete a challenge without talking to their teammates and if they spoke, they would be disqualified. Yes, middle school students like to talk.

During the day, I loved my job, but when I got home and reflected on my day, I was exhausted and couldn't imagine doing more prep for the next day. But I did. The days were more stressful when I reflected on it  because I focused on the negative. Caught this kid on a cell phone, one kid had to leave class, and another constantly spoke to get attention during my teaching. I had to get away from the negativity. My secret--I took forty-five minutes to myself when I got home to run, play guitar, or read. This was my calm down time. Then I could eat, shower, and continue to prep while curled up on my couch.

Something that I haven't been able to do is keep my daily journal of my first year of teaching. I hope to make this part of my daily routine so that I reflect then and there on how my lessons could be improved. One step at a time!

Tomorrow's the First Day of School!

Yes. Tomorrow is the first day of school. I have been there several times throughout the summer and spent most of last week in workshops. But now, my job really begins. I'll get to school as the sun comes up and before students crawl through the hallways (because let's admit it, they aren't ready for school to be in session either).

Four years of schooling and a summer spent, mostly, planning. Ready or not, the students will come. I submitted my lesson plans yesterday. I have my to-do list for when I get to school. I feel prepared.

There's a feeling of concern, too. What if I forgot something? What if I can't take up the full class period? I can't let my students believe that they'll have "free" time at the end of every class period since they got it that first day.

In the end, though, I need to take the advice of my colleague: "Go in, have fun. You can't take back the first day."

When I'm sitting in my room during first hour prep, I need to remind myself that I love this job, this career. I am prepared for this school year. 

To any other new teachers, best of luck. Remember, we love this career!

Learning about Teaching by Decorating

A short list of lessons I've learned about teaching just by decorating my classroom:

1. Be prepared for cross-curriculum in your classroom.

Be an English teacher they said, you won't have to do math. (Never mind math was easier for me in high school than English.) Life would be easier without math. Ah-ha. Then a person with a case of OCD (though slight) started decorating their classroom: "Be an English teacher they said, you won't have to do math." I mumbled to myself as I drew a diagram, measurements and all, of the calendar to tape on my whiteboard for daily plans and objectives. Not so bad. Ha! I can still use my skills from shop class after all. Drawing on the white board wasn't as easy. My perfect measurements were off. Re-do the math. "Be an English teacher; you won't have to do math." It started to sound sing-songy in my head. Time for a new saying: "Measure twice, cut once." This applies to drawing straight boxes. I did this. So any crooked lines are the fault of either the ruler or the tape, not mine!

Remember how I mentioned slight OCD? Yeah, I like things to look professional and elegant. So my calendar board with slightly wavy lines with mint tape almost looks oceany if you stare too much. That was the next lesson I learned:

2. Accept Imperfection.

There isn't enough time in the day to organize each nook and cranny in my classroom. In the last couple of weeks, I've had to leave my room in a disaster knowing that I'd be back to clean up that tornado to only open another tidal wave of projects that ruin any organization that may have been there. This means I cannot expect myself to have a "perfect" classroom at the end of each day. This first year is a learning curve not only for my students, but for me. Sometimes I may leave school knowing, "Well, that lesson was crap. It left the students more confused than when I started." Just as it was "okay" to leave my room a mess and clean it up the next day, it will work to do that with my academic lessons. I do not need to be afraid of trying new lessons, new projects, or anything else new! 

3. There's only so much time in a day.

I left school feeling exhausted, but wishing I had gotten more done. I get home, get my daily workout in (sometimes it was a snack instead of a workout!), shower, make supper and eat; there's hardly any time to start another project. Or my brain is just too tired to start on that beautiful no name board that I love. It's okay not to have everything ready two weeks early. It will come together. Yes, it's nice to be prepared and thinking about what I need to do, but I need to be realistic about what I can accomplish in a single day, week, or even month. 

By the way, I did eventually finish my No Name Paper board! I added an exclamation point to center the text more, too.

4. Share ideas with staff. Or students. Students help too.

Seriously, ideas that I think will be fantastic but told a few of my colleagues  about helped me revamp those ideas so that they are more likely to work within my classroom. I also talked to my mom about my crafts. She helped me design a stoplight to use for music listening during work time and discussions.

I also learned from other staff that cloth works better for bulletin boards than paper because of fading. I went to my local Wal-Mart and bought some fabric! Students also have great ideas. I was working on my bulletin boards and became frustrated because I could not get the edges straight. I knew I couldn't cut the cloth perfectly and folding wasn't working either. A student came in to watch me struggle. She finally offered a suggestion: "Why don't you cut ragged edges on purpose? It'll add some interest and doesn't have to be perfect." Brilliant! (Once again, I accepted imperfection.)

 In the short time I've been at my school, I have learned that it's better to discuss my ideas (whether for management, organization, or lesson plans) with others and get feedback. It's great if my ideas aren't perfect, because I'm learning and also creating relationships with colleagues and students. It turns into a win-win situation for me.

5. A graphic designer as a best friend is FANTASTICALLY AWESOME! She sized and printed my posters for me in less time than her lunch break. It would've taken me HOURS. Lesson learned: Do not be afraid to ask for help. There is no shame in someone helping me. Simply see my posters below:

Now to simply remember these lessons when I feel as if I'm going crazy in a month...

A Year Gone By

Unfortunately, I did not keep up with my blog through my final year of school, so many of my challenges and success stories will go untold, but I may share a few highlights of the past year.

The last two semesters of college were very satisfying, but required a lot of hard work and dedication. Fortunately, (and also sadly) I had few education courses left for the fall semester as my focus had remained on them through my four years. Instead, I challenged myself to complete a writing degree and a music minor. It may be a blog post for another time, but I truly believe that my struggle with my music minor will make me a better teacher to understand my students and their feelings of frustration. 

Puppies at the Humane Society during a field trip.

Spring semester brought me to the most exciting part of my college career--student teaching. My college requirement was 14 weeks, which looking back was no time at all. I loved my students and I loved teaching them. I even looked forward to creating lessons during my weekends. What I didn't look forward to was grading; it seemed to remind me that the best way to understand learning was through their personal reflections, but how do you put a number on that? A letter grade? I'll continue to learn and adapt my practices so that I feel more comfortable with my procedures and the grades I give.

Other than that, I felt the most stressful part of student teaching was knowing that someone was continuously watching me. My cooperating teacher wanted me to succeed and offered constructive criticism when appropriate, but I never felt like I could truly try my own teaching style that required high energy and active engagement. It wasn't what the students were used to and the teachers there had very different styles. I know this wasn't the intended feeling, but it's the stress of knowing that it isn't truly 100% your classroom and that in the end, I was a guest.
My university supervisor encouraged me to not only explore my own teaching style, but to learn from those around me. Though it was frustrating to absorb so much information and different styles, I quickly learned that there are many ways and practices to be an effective teacher. Overall, student teaching was a successful, positive experience, and I learned a lot about the practices of teaching along with my own style.

In mid-March I began my search for a teaching job. This may sound early, but it was recommended to me by several administrators. I'm so glad that I took their advice. Before sending any applications, I researched the schools and decided what type of community (rural/suburban/city) I wanted to teach and live in. Though I would be happy teaching anywhere, I knew my heart rested in rural areas, so that's where I focused my attention. As part of my application, I included a cover letter specifically for each of these schools and let my personality come through as well as highlighted areas of common interest between me and the school district. I sent out two applications that month. The first I knew would arrive late (but I thought getting feedback would be worth it!), and the second application arrived a day before the due date.

The second application was my golden ticket to a job interview! April 7. A Monday. There was more involved than my application though. The principal knew teachers where I was currently completing my student teaching. He made that phone call and asked if I was worthy of an interview. Thankfully, my cooperating teachers in my department gave me a positive review.

Dressed for success for my first interview in April.

The day of my interview came and I dressed to impress. I wore a suit with a collared shirt and put a smile on my face. I arrived in the town of the interview almost two hours early. My mom drove with me, and together we explored the town for possible housing and had lunch at the local diner. It was a rural town, so there wasn't a lot to explore. My mom knew exactly to take me to the park where I could read a book to calm down before my interview. Golden ticket.

I walked into the school fifteen minutes before my scheduled interview. I'm so glad I did. I was able to get a tour of the school before and got to see students interacting in the hallways during passing time. Even more importantly, I saw how the principal interacted with the students. He smiled and had conversations with them. He called each of them by name and asked specific questions. That was the caring environment I knew I wanted to be in.

The interview was hot. I was warm in my clothes, but I still didn't regret my decision to dress impeccably. My nervousness came out as sweat, but I don't think those interviewing me could tell. Six faculty interviewed me: two English teachers, the principal, two counselors, and one secretary. I came with a binder of example lesson plans, my teaching believes, letters to parents--everything I thought I might mention. I referred to these lessons and shared them with the panel. This showed them that I was prepared; however, I think they cared more about my believes of students, their achievements, and the extreme importance of building relationships.

As I left the building, the principal thanked me for coming in and asked if this was my first interview. Could he really tell? "Yes," I admitted. He smiled and said I'd hear from him before the end of the week. Is that good or bad?!

Just under twenty-four hours later, I received a call. I stood in my classroom (after school, of course) shaking with anticipation. What would he say? My cooperating teacher told me to calm down because it was a job offer, but I couldn't accept that. Who receives a job offer on their first interview? I hardly knew the answers before the words tumbled from my mouth.

Indeed, it was a job offer. Again, the principal proved to me this was the school for me. Not only was it rural with an extremely positive school environment, but he was understanding. Without asking, he gave me the rest of the week before I had to make a decision. No rush. 

Two days later, I accepted the job. I've loved my new job (which I haven't started yet) from the moment I walked into that school for my interview. I can only hope that all first year teachers could have such a positive and welcoming experiences.

My best friend with me at graduation.

All that remained was my grading from student teaching, and yes, graduation. The day came, and I relaxed more than I thought I would. No anxiety attacks about being a grown up. Instead, I felt ready and proud of my accomplishments and those of my classmates. A large percentage of us have accepted job offers and are vigorously planning and decorating our classes this summer, so there is much to celebrate.

Thanks for catching up with me, and I hope you stay tuned!