I Love School

My class is amazing. I had no idea it would be this much fun, and so intense.   I am going to be able to immediately apply so much of what I've learned.  More to come.

The Day Someday Arrived

...and she flung herself down upon her favorite rock and cried as the relief and disbelief intertwined within her soul.  Flipping over onto her back, she stared up, past the gnarled leafy branches, at the blue sky beyond.  Sun-kissed butterflies, full of promise, flitted around her head and then skipped happily in her guts. Finally, she was a teacher.

Memory Makers and Honesty

Remember that day when Dr. Evans gave me my first pink slip?  I do. The date was May 9, 2012.  Of course, I wasn't upset; I knew my contract was ending.  I felt bad for her, and told her so.  What an awful way to end the school year, passing out pink slips.  She asked me to check my letter because some of them were misprinted.  I opened my letter in front of her and sighed with disappointment.  She asked me what was wrong.  I explained to her that I wanted to frame my first pink slip and truly felt disappointed that the paper was white. I wanted PINK!  She smiled.  I hope it cheered her up a bit.

Later that day when I checked my voice mail, I was dismayed upon hearing a message inviting me to my very first interview for a teaching position.  Wow.  Timing is everything.  Protected and cared for that is how I felt.  A quiet nod of reassurance that I am still stepping on all the correct stepping stones as I make my way quietly forward on my teaching journey.

Now the honesty part:  First graders and I just do not click.  They will NEVER know that truth by the way.  They only believe I love them with all my heart, which I do.  However, let me just say that there is some unknown element mixed in that particular age group that causes me to privately lose my patience to the MAX.  Like I said, THEY WILL NEVER know that truth because I keep it completely hidden from them at all times.  It cracks me up so much that I LOVE kindergarten and second grade, but struggle in first grade.  Funny.

Waiting and Working

One method for dealing with the stress of waiting for the results of my interview is to WORK as if the position is already mine.  I am particularly fond of this technique, and if the position were indeed offered to me - who has time to sit around and wait for the phone call to confirm it?  I mean, I have an entire 6th grade school year to plan.  I know, I am crazy, but at least I am busy working on something meaningful. I suppose if I do not get offered the position, I may regret this burst of ambitious creativity and meticulous attention to detail (school year schedule, end of the year testing, core content requirements, daily schedule, weekly schedule, classroom expectations, procedures, writing pieces, target skills, writing prompts, etc.)

However, for now, it is keeping me moving forward on what promises to be a most exciting journey, if only the telephone call would come.

There is a compartment in my head that whispers, "Forward all these plans on to him, so that he can see for himself what you can accomplish in such a small amount of time."  The email reads something like this:

Dear Mr. Wise and Best Principal EVER,

As you move forward in your decision making process regarding the 6th grade position, I humbly submit to you a tentative syllabus, schedule, list of topics, grade distribution schedule, parent letter, and classroom expectations and procedures list that I created specifically for this particular teaching position.  My only hope is to demonstrate my commitment to excellence if I were to be offered this position in your school.

Very Sincerely Yours,

Teacher Who Would Work for No Pay to Land this DREAM Job!!

The Interview

Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.
-William Arthur Ward

The last few days have been a blur of excitement, lack of sleep and dizzying work. I received an invitation to interview at Alvaton for a 6th grade position. My interview is tomorrow, and I am enjoying every minute of the nervousness and anticipation. I realize that I am not alone in this process, and every new teacher has to start with the interview. Realizing that all I have to do is be the person I am and do my best is taking most of the pressure off of me. A teacher taught me to think like that many, many, MANY years ago.

I feel it is important to be as prepared as possible so I've been devouring six grade standards, interviewing CT 6th grade teachers, visiting with former 6th grade teachers and making mental notes of all my experience working with this age group. After reviewing, I was pleased at how many opportunities I've had that make me extremely qualified for the position. If the position is indeed a writing position, not only will I be THRILLED, but I may not be able to leave without offering to work without pay. Truly, when I contemplate the possibility of teaching 6th grade, I find myself astonished and quite pleased at how amazing the prospect feels in my heart and guts.

My principal and cooperative teacher are AMAZING. They both met with me today and conducted a mock interview and provided me with feedback. During the interview, I had the opportunity to tell them the story about why I wanted to become a teacher in the first place. I made myself cry on the spot, and the simple fact that the whole story goes back to my teacher at Alvaton is pure synchronicity. I do not fancy the idea of crying during an interview, so I hope the tears stay put tomorrow. :)

I found that making a list of my experiences that related to the position helped me focus and articulate my responses. Some things I came up with that do not appear on my resume:
4 year volunteer leader for support group for teens.
Peer tutor at the Learning Center at WKU's South Campus - helped students revise and edit their papers - research, personal narratives, letters, argument/persuasion.
Degree in Social Studies - Extensive writing for every course, including a senior thesis, research, and secondary education classes (helps to see where students are headed).

My goal for today is to rest, study the standards some more and sleep like a baby.

The Teacher's Corner

I love writing prompts.

Pizza Box Organization

So last night, I had this huge explosion of creativity at 11:00 pm, while trying to fall asleep. This explosion involved pizza boxes. I decided that I would use pizza boxes in various ways in my classroom! I love the idea of storing everything necessary for teaching a particular unit in one compact box: books, games, activities, and resources. The box can easily be labeled on any and all sides and stacked neatly ANYWHERE I need to store things in my classroom.

Also, I am very excited about creating learning centers for my classroom that are quick and easy to pull out and use, and then put away and replace with new centers. The boxes could be decorated on the outside with laminated pictures, and laminated directions could be placed under the lid for the students. All necessary center items would be enclosed within the box! I am toying with the idea of creating one new learning center a week, so that I end up with over 50 organized centers at my fingertips.

Another idea I found to use the pizza box is to create a portfolio for each student. The boxes would hold work for the entire year, and could easily be pulled out for parent teacher conferences.

My favorite part about pizza boxes (besides their low cost) is that they come in three sizes and can be stored horizontally or vertically. Pizza boxes of course can also be converted into awesome student solar ovens and green houses for science. I want to be as organized as possible, so I can dedicate my best energy to my students.