09 August 2012

Up and Coming

Dear all who care to read this blog,

I'm sorry I've been neglectful.

I'll try not to let it happen again...

No promises, though!


Today is Thursday.  A week from this Monday the first week of school will start.

I think I might wet my pants.

Ha!  Wouldn't that be a sight....?

Starting yesterday, school meetings and Professional Development have and will continue to occupy the great majority of my time until the first day of school.  Then, the Freshmen will take over.  I don't mind.  We're all getting geared up and ready for all of the changes happening in the school.  This really will be an exciting year.

In all seriousness, I really am VERY excited about what's in store for the 9th grade this year.

Why, you might ask?

I'll tell you why.

You know how in most high schools, when students get to the 9th grade, they have multiple teachers, 100 different procedures to remember, a million different preferences per classroom, and every teacher's personal discipline plan?

Strike that.  ALL of that.  We're doing something different (because EVERYONE likes different!)

My dear school has what they call the Freshmen Academy.  Essentially, for 6 out of the 8 periods a day, all of the 9th grade will be in ONE section of the school.  They have their own wing.  Isn't that cool?  It's kinda separated from the rest of the grades, and that was done for a reason.  Reason being this Freshmen Academy idea.  For the last 2 periods of the day, the elective periods, the students get thrown in the throngs of the upper class men and basically have to fend for themselves.  But while they're with us, they have stability, which, I think I can safely say, every young teen needs as much of as possible.

Not really that different, you say?

Okay, how about a unified syllabus for all Freshman Academy teachers?  Same rules.  Same implementation.  Same expectations.  Same everything, except (obviously) the teacher's name.  All students will know and understand that they will be treated the exact same way, no matter the teacher or subject.

Since this is a brand new program starting this Fall, the school has selected a panel of 10 teachers from the Academy to be the frontrunners.  They get together once a week and talk about what's working, what's not working, what can be improved upon, etc.  All the teachers enlisted are bright, energetic, outgoing, enthusiastic, and team-center ideologic people.

I am one of those 10, selected to help bring a new chapter into the lives of the 9th graders we're about to meet.  I am thrilled and honored to be part of such a wonderful program!

We're also requiring a class that I really wish I had in high school.  It's called Freshman Seminar.  It's a bit difficult to describe, but for lack of a better term, we can call it a Life Skills class, or a Career Oriented Class.  In it, students find out who they are, where they want to go, what they can do, and the tools they need to get there.  Each student will fill out a 10-year plan for their lives according to their dreams and aspirations.  No dream is too big.  We want these kids to realize that they have the potential for so much more, to be so much more.  We want to get them thinking long-term so they have something to strive for - a career, a home, whatever they want!  They will build a budget and use critical thinking skills and team-work to try and map out how they need to get where they want to go and how to avoid making so many of the mistakes that young people make because they just aren't informed enough.  This class is a God-send, honestly.  Thinking about the area that I've moved to, and the demographics that come with that, we could see this entire city change for the better.  We want to give our students the option for a better life and the tools to get them there.  I truly have confidence that this class will help boost student motivation and achievement for years to come.

I, and the rest of the teachers, absolutely can't wait to see how this class turns these kid's perspectives around.

That's about all I can say about that.

I know I'm lame, but I don't have any pictures to show of my classroom yet!  I've got furniture in the middle of the floor so it's kinda difficult to tell what it looks like anyway.  Plus, I've not hung anything on the walls yet, so it's bare and sad :-(

As soon as I can get some good pictures, I'll post them here so you can see the transformation.

Thanks for your time!  If any of you teachers have any advice on how to handle 14 year olds with confidence, I'd appreciate anything you could throw my way :-)

02 June 2012

Moving On Up

Unfortunately, I don't REALLY have much to update on, but I'll throw something out here anyway.

Since the last post, I have:
1. Signed my contract (Official!)
2. Seen my classroom (EEEPPP!!!)
3. Received PD hours (ka-ching!)
4. Fallen completely in love with my school district and the people (<3)
5. Been freaking out constantly over how much I still have to do for this wedding. :-\

My wedding.  In 4 weeks.

I'm in the process of packing and planning, and planning and scheming.  For wedding.  For classroom.  For life.

*sigh*

I'm scared there is too much on my plate right now.

*cue panic attack*

Once I get settled (read: MARRIED and settled), I'm sure school stuff will be happening VERY quickly.  You'll be hearing more from me in just over a month.  After I change my name and stuff.  You know - the usual :-)

10 May 2012

Brand. Spanking. New.

Wow! I can't believe it's been almost a YEAR since I had anything to update on.

Since I'm actually writing something, you're probably guessing I have an actual update, right?

 ABSOLUTELY! 

After I received my teaching license last June (2011), I hunted hard for that special place to call "home" (read: my very own, brand spanking new classroom). 

But, alas, it didn't come... :-(

 You can imagine that I was SUPER bummed and beginning to wonder if ANYONE would give me that first chance.  It had been 2 years since I graduated college.  I mean, really?  Was it supposed to be this hard finding a job?

I scouted jobs for the next few months after school started, but nothing promising. I applied for several out-of-state teaching licenses (none of which have been completed yet... oops!) and continued my search.

Along came January of 2012: 7 months from my WEDDING DAY! (That's right, my boyfriend proposed and we're planning a wedding!  Whee!!!!)

We needed to find jobs quick. I did everything that I could to locate the place that was waiting for me. I Googled, I emailed, I filled out hundreds of applications, I sent out many, many resumes, the works! Fiance and I were looking outside of our hometown for jobs for the both of us and decided that whoever was offered the first job would be where we would go.

We were NOT looking in Arkansas.
Weird, because that's where I'm licensed... You would think that would be the first place I'd have looked.

BUT, one day in April, I noticed a job posting on a teacher forum for a teacher in Arkansas.  I said, "What the heck?!" and sent in my application.

They called 2 days later.  EEEEEP!!

After HUNDREDS of emails, applications, and resumes, someone FINALLY took notice! They called me on a Friday. They interviewed me that next Wednesday, and HIRED ME a week later!

I GOT A TEACHING JOB!!!!!

They loved me so much, they gave me my first pick :-D
(Seriously - the principal told me that after I left the interview, he and the members I had interviewed with could NOT stop talking about me.  Best. Feeling. Ever!)

I am (almost officially) the brand new 9th Grade World Geography teacher in a small town in Arkansas. Wahoo!!!
Now to sign the contract...

Who knew small town life was our first stop :-)

Geography is a subject not new to the school, but, in the past, had only been offered on a semester basis. I get to teach the first class of Geography for a WHOLE YEAR!

Brand new teacher. Brand new course. Brand new students to high school. Brand new city. Brand new relationship status (by that point). Brand new EVERYTHING!

I feel truly blessed.
I couldn't have gotten here without the support of those around me. My family and friends, my co-workers and neighbors. None of you realize how wonderful it is to be surrounded by such a wonderful collection of thoughts and prayers.

And I can't forget every single teacher that I've had that has helped inspire me to become who I am.

THANK YOU!

You mean the world to me - I hope I can follow in your footsteps.

Thank you all for your support and encouraging words. 3 years well spent :-)

I hope to be posting on a more regular basis now that I actually have a CLASSROOM and STUDENTS to teach! I would greatly appreciate words of wisdom and encouragement. This is going to be a tough year, but I know I can make it through.

Keep coming back for more juicy classroom talk!
And crazy moments - because I'm sure there will be plenty of nights I want to pull my hair out.

Bazinga.