I find it important to write about the value of slowing down in the midst of the chaos. Quite frankly, I haven’t been following through with many of my professional goals this year, not the least of which is blogging daily about my job. Life gets busy sometimes. We take on these commitments outside of…
Me Too
Me too, me too, me too. I’ve agonized over whether to even speak out or not because of my position as a teacher in the community, but my overwhelming desire to raise awareness is overpowering my desire to try to stay out of a spotlight. It’s time to speak out. My world collapsed, my innocence…
Don’t Be Perfect; Be Good
I’ve been feeling insecure this year (and really all three years of teaching, if I’m being honest) about my shortcomings as a teacher. My classroom isn’t the prettiest one, my desk is a disaster, I don’t get to work super early or stay late grading papers as often as I used to, and I certainly…
Positive Parent Communication
Hello dear readers, Thanks for following along on this bumpy adventure of my teaching career. It means the world that you’ve stumbled across this blog, or just this post, and continued to read. Thank you for caring about my students and about my reflections on my teaching practice. They mean the world to me, and…
My Students Inspire Me
I’ve been feeling low and confused lately. Perhaps it’s associated with post-travel adjustments, and I know some of it is connected to my distorted levels of empathy. I feel people’s pain more than I probably should, and I constantly have to keep my emotions in check in order to not be bogged down by the…
Behind the Mask
I’m feeling pretty lost and broken today and have been for a while, so I want to reflect on a time that I didn’t feel that way. I’m learning how to love myself in the midst of my flaws, in spite of my failures, with my brokenness. I don’t want to be enslaved to and…
Inspire
Each year, the district chooses a word that should set the tone for how we as teachers interact with students, our curriculum, the community, one another, and ourselves. Our word for this year is “inspire.” I was overjoyed that the word is inspire because I try to live my life in such a way that…
At a Loss…
Dear Self, I’m at a loss of what to do with this blog. I made it one of my professional goals to try to blog daily. Already I’m losing the enthusiasm for this process. Should I adjust my goal? Should I power through the writer’s block? I’m uncertain of how to move forward. Any encouragement…
Wrapping up The Door Scene!
Today’s class consisted of having students reflect on their finished Door Scene projects by watching each film and critiquing themselves and others. I loved that nearly every student was able to give positive and constructive criticism to his or her peers. Phrases such as, “I liked _______ about your film, but I think that it…
Reflections on Week Two
It’s the end of week two, and even though I’m exhausted I know this career is the right profession for me. I already love these students and cannot wait to see them grow as the year progresses. This week’s focus was on “The Door Scene” project and helping the students visualize the writing process. I…
Getting Feedback
One aspect that I am trying to grow in as a new teacher is being proactive in getting feedback. I no longer have a mentor and someone whose job it is to meet with me and help me grow. That’s normal! It’s year three! I have to spread my wings and fly… but I am…
Managing the Chaos
Week two has begun, and I’m already feeling the chaos rising. These past two years I’ve felt as though I’m drowning in how busy I am, but in this third year of teaching I feel as though I can manage it. I’ve found some ways to help sort through the chaos that I think could…
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