Monday, December 26, 2011

Update

This August, I believe I was a little too ambitious with my thoughts. I felt like I would be updating my blog weekly, but I quickly learned differently. After spending five eight hour days with needy-demanding seventh graders, the only thing I want to do at the end of those days is sit in silence….at least for an hour. Although I’ve had a few changes in my personal life, most of the changes have happened in my professional life.

Instead of a traditional blog, I’ve decided to just write a huge list of changes, both professional and personal, that have transpired throughout these last four months.

1. PAYCHECK: Probably the best part of my job! I always feel like a kid in a candy store on payday. For the past five years, I’ve been living off of my parents and any other family member who wanted to donate to my bank account. I do miss those random deposits, but I don’t miss my mother micromanaging my money and asking why I spending so much money on frivolous things. These days I buy what I want, and I don’t have to worry about someone looking at my bank statements saying “well, if you would stop shopping and eating out, you may have more money.” Along with just receiving this paycheck, I’ve learned how to become more disciplined when it comes to spending. I’ve quickly learned that I don’t have to have everything my heart desires. In fact, when I’m finally able to get something that I really want, it means more to me whenever I have it.

2. LIVING ALONE: This was a big adjustment, but I really enjoy it. Last year, I lived in a house with a roommate. I really enjoyed coming home and having someone to talk to and go places with. I think it took me a couple of days to realize that no one was coming home after I got there when I moved into my apartment. Now that I’m use to it, I don’t think I could have another roommate. I’m use to having my own space. I plan to keep it this way…well at least until I get married.

3. TEACHING: Where do I start? (hahaha) Like any job, you have your good days and bad, but overall, my experience in the classroom has been great. This year I’ve been blessed with an amazing team! We work so well together. It’s amazing how our personalities just fit. They always look out for me, and I really appreciate that. I don’t think my first year would be going so well without their help. We never have a dull moment in team time; I just really can’t complain.

I’m enjoying having my own classroom, but I do miss having one of my mentor teachers sitting not too far away just in case I mess up a lesson. This is the main reason I’m so happy that I’m in a profession where I can make a mistake in my classroom, and it’s ok. I can easily come back to it the next day and redo it. I feel bad for my first hour class because by second hour the lesson is completely different and taught soooooo much better. I usually just re-teach my first hour class the same material two days in a row, so they can get the better lesson. (it doesn’t hurt them anyways)

Monitoring and adjusting are my best friends. When I think about it, I teach each of my class periods differently. As far as my 7th grade English classes, I know my first hour catches on quickly, second hour is a little quicker, and my fourth hour needs information remediated and broken down so go SLOW! Just having that information makes teaching a little less stressful. It also helps me with planning. Same goes for my Pre-AP English classes, my fifth hour is full of my over-achievers (as they call themselves), and seventh is my laid back accelerated students that need information to be broken down a little more than my fifth hour. I’m excited to teach them again…I miss them a little…just a little! They’ve been so patient with me! They just roll with the punches and all of my constant and ongoing changes. They do whine, but they get over it quickly.

Aside from teaching them, I’ve learned so much from them! I’ve learned that less is more when it comes to giving them options, building relationships with them is key, rewards make them work harder than ever, it’s possible to be laid back and stern, it’s ok for your students to realize that you’re human and do things that regular people do, make sure to remind them that 7th grade life/being 12 isn’t how it’s going to be when they’re 16, and hands-on projects/instruction makes class time go by quickly and more enjoyable J. I really hope by May these students will be more well-rounded and have a love for English just like me!

4. HEALTHY LIVING: This year, I’ve taken a liking to working out. I started working out because like any other twenty-three year old female, I wanted to be smaller, but now I actually enjoy walking/running on the treadmill or doing some type of exercise DVD. I feel so much better after working out especially if I’m stressing about something. Next year, I’m going to change a few of my eating habits that can turn into lifelong changes; then maybe, I can drop a few pounds by my birthday! Hahaha

I think that’s all for now. I plan to write a little more on break…..which by the way is going by tooooooo fast!!!! Until we meet again!