Riding High

Wow.

I still feel like the rookie. And I am. But holy cow. I’ve got teachers with 3x the experience using lessons and materials that I put together. More than one person has come to me for help or advice with various education tech programs, and now, the first “Feature a Teacher.” It’s basically a teacher of the month type thing.

Whoa.

I generally don’t like bragging, but damn this feels good.

Nobody is infallible, and I know I still need to grow and improve, but I’m gonna just sit and enjoy the moment a bit.

Gratitude 3-25-15

It’s been a while, but for today, I’m extremely grateful I can keep calm and functional in an emergency.

It’s tough enough with adults sometimes, but with kids it’s critical. If you’re calm, they will be calm. If you lose it, they’ll lose it 10x worse.

In the end, everyone is OK, and that’s what matters.

More brags

So, sitting in a workshop about scaffolding lessons today, a little ways into the program I was relating an instance where I tried a scaffold that flopped.

The facilitator asked me to “think back to when you were a first year teacher.”

I had to interject with “well, I AM a first year teacher.”

“Wait, what? You certainly don’t sound like it.”

I have gotten that reaction from no fewer than half a dozen other professionals… apparently I don’t talk or act like a first year. I’ve been called a “natural” by my AP, my principal, my mentor and my professor.

Yeah, I think I’m on the right path now…

Gratitudes 4-4-14

I’m grateful for random pleasant conversation with a fellow commuter on my ride to work this morning.

I’m grateful that I apparently look about 10 years younger than I really am. I sometimes wonder if people are blowing smoke up my behind, but this girl had no reason to do that – she just assumed I was her age. 🙂

I’m grateful I get to see K this weekend, even if it’s not as much time as either of us would like. And I’m grateful to JC for the crash space.

Passing the Baton

Last night I had the baton passed to me in grad school. The award device itself is a play on the school’s name (Relay) but the award is interesting.

The first one was given by the staff to one of us, but since then it gets passed each session from one grad student to the next, for exhibiting a number of desirable traits. Among those traits are things like grit, dedication, and so on. Recipients get their picture on our little wall of fame.

Last night I received it for “social intelligence.” I had helped the person who passed it to me revise her teaching demo for an interview. Something others had helped me with in the past, and certainly something I’d helped others with too. What I hadn’t realized at the time was that after going on many (read: 12+) interviews, she had decided that this one was do-or-die: if she didn’t get it, she was leaving the program. Wow, no pressure.

I could have gone the traditional route and gone back to school on my own and hoped to find a job. I went through the Fellows because I wanted… no… I knew I needed the support of a like-minded community. So I do what I can to foster that. And it all comes back in wonderful ways.

Now I need to decide who to pass it to when we reconvene in February. So many wonderful colleagues and friends…

Gratitudes 11-9-13

I’m grateful that I can be resourceful when I need to. Yay for turning apples about to go bad into applesauce. Turned out pretty damn good too! Wonder if that’s how it got started in the first place…

I’m grateful for hot, hearty food on cold mornings. I do love autumn mornings though.

I’m also grateful for those occasional autumn mornings where I can sleep in (if you can call 7:30 sleeping in). At least, sleeping until sunrise. My bed really is just so comfy.

Gratitudes 11-3-13

I am grateful for a freezer and fridge full of food. And never again will I underestimate the peace of mind these things bring.

I am grateful for absolutely amazing friends who give me what I need, even when I’m embarrassed to ask for it.

First Year Teacher Brags

-My first “you’re my favorite teacher” note

-Having a friend and colleague who’s a Professor of Science Education think that my classroom management idea is SO awesome, he shared it with his class. (ahem, his class of teachers in training!)

-Earning a “highly effective” (highest possible) rating on one of my elements on my first official evaluation.

Birthday Gratitudes

I’m grateful to have made it another year.

I’m grateful for all of the wonderful, loving people in my life, even if being so far away from them makes it tough.

I’m grateful to be in graduate school

I’m grateful to have a new, rewarding career.

Gratitudes 9-27-13

I’m super grateful for a supportive school community. I’ve had people give me supplies, lessons, and my dept lead has pulled my butt out of the fire a few times.

I’m grateful that even though I have 6 class sections, they’re all the same grade to prep for. Some of my colleagues have 2 or even 3. Ouch.

I’m grateful for good kids. They’re a handful, but they’re 6th graders… they’re kind of supposed to be. They are energetic and talkative and scatterbrained and irresponsible… so yeah, they’re right where 11 and 12 year olds should be. But they’re GOOD kids. Kids that still, in general, respect adults and want to do well. Kids that give me hugs and ask me what my favorite color is on any given day so they know what color to make the happy little doodles they give me.

I’m grateful to be in grad school, even if it makes me just a little manic sometimes.