I absolutely cannot believe that it has been almost one month since I have written a blog post! Between the amazing life of being Mike's wife :), traveling, fun times with friends, and of course working ridiculous hours Monday through Friday, I guess I have been a busy bee.
Work shall be my subject of blogging this evening - why you might ask? Well, because it's basically what I eat, breathe, and sometimes even sleep during the weekdays. The transition from a block schedule (teaching three 90 min. classes) to a seven-period day (55 min. classes) has been....different. I thought teaching had it's struggles on a block schedule, but wow, was I in for a shock. Try doubling the students and halving the plan time...can I get a "Yay!"? Yeah, definitely not from me.
However, in the spirit of thankfulness I have decided to not devote this posting to the practice of "venting" but to instead list the reasons "Why I Teach". The reasons why we each chose our professions in the first place and why we continue to show up each day (other than those things called bills) are often lost in the dust of deadlines, complaints, frustration, and busy workweeks. I'll give it my best shot though...
1. Cheese Warning - No matter whether I realize or not, every day, I have an influence on someone. Maybe it's a smile in the hallway or a congratulations for a job well done on a quiz or test. Heck, it could even be a reprimand for poor choices or rudeness (which happens a lot). Regardless, that kid remembers me for even thirty minutes - I made them think about something or got them to smile. As a teacher, you NEVER realize the impact meaningless things (to you) can mean to a child.
2. I absolutely adore literature. It moves me and when it really moves me, it is apparent to my students (at least I hope it is). For instance, we are currently studying Emerson and Thoreau in my American Literature classes. Inspiration, much??? Those two men provided us with hundreds of quotes we still use and apply to our lives today.
3. One Word: SOAPBOX. Yep, I've got a big one at the front of my room and I use it about daily. When you teach English, it never fails that a current event or controversial issue will arise. I think of this as my time to get out my thoughts and opinions and also listen to those of a generation who experiencing events I never thought of...and I am not that far off from some of them. And let me tell you, there are some SMART teenagers out there. Seriously, even those you might see haunting the mall on Fridays...yep, I have some of those...and they have some interesting ideas and excellent input too!
4. Plan Period: Yeah, I know it's work time, but I do quite enjoy when my classroom is empty, I can play my music and complete melt into my chair and make lesson plans, grade, or read for upcoming assignments. This is totally my decompression period of the day.
5. Humor: A lot...all day long. It's how I maintain my sanity and attempt to make school fun. No, that is not an oxymoron.
6. I am my students. Let me elaborate. The same exact things I get on to them about doing are the things I do. I LOVE to talk...laugh...and get irritated when someone is making me do something that I find "pointless". Therefore, I can't help but find the irony in this. The only issue is that I have a little more weight than my students do when it comes to choices...haha...but really, if you teach, think about it? Are you your students???
Alright, enough for now...however, I am thinking this might be an interesting book. A compilation of anecdotes and one-liners about why teachers "TEACH".
Adios :)
