Wow! 2018 has been a powerful year for me. I graduated from Illinois State University in May with honors, and I obtained my 1st teaching position. During the summer, I spent time relaxing with my family and stressing about my first teaching job. I felt prepared and ready to go, but inside, I was filled with butterflies about how my students would react to me since I was a teacher they were not familiar with. The good news is I have survived five months thus far, and of course, I have had a few rough days where I cried in the car driving home, and to be honest, those days are truly difficult for many reasons. Whether it was feeling like I was incompetent, struggling with the behavior of my students and wondering what was going on externally that was causing the behavior and trying to find the right response at the right time which doesn't always happen, or just doubting whether or not I am on the right path, those doubts, fears, and insecurities have a tendency to get to me. Luckily, my mom is great at looking at me and knowing something is wrong. She always knows what to say to get me to look at the bright side of things which, in those cases, was that I am learning a lot this year, and those challenges and issues are truly making me stronger as a teacher and as a person.
I am not going to lie. This 1st year is filled with many challenges mainly because a lot of it is new. I was a hard-worker at my university, and I took advantage of many opportunities such as attending teaching conferences, being secretary of CMLA, and working on honors projects. For me, classroom management has been the hardest for me because a university cannot prepare you for that. I read a few books and got ideas from mentors/ Twitter/ Pinterest, but a lot of it comes from knowing your students, and I feel like every class is different, so what works this year may not work next year. I do have procedures in place along with rules and consequences, but I feel like some things are working better than others, and when things are not working, I am trying a different strategy to see if that works better. This whole year is truly trial and error as my mentor teacher told me. In 2019, I plan on finishing the school year strong. I am setting up classroom goals in January due to knowing that my students like a healthy dose of competition, and this way, my students can work together in regards to turning in all assignments, transitioning quickly and silently, walking in the hall silently, etc. My students have absolutely come a long way, and I am proud of that. Some of my goals include reflecting on a daily basis in a journal and then posting my reflections on a weekly basis, being consistent and following through with the expectations that I have in place for my students, starting an interactive notebook for math, and organizing my classroom in a way that makes me more efficient. To conclude, I am grateful for the struggles and joys that come with this amazing profession because the struggles push me to do better for my students, and when I overcome a hurdle, I can look back and see that I have truly grown as a teacher. I know that my family and my PLN has my back and will continue to support me as I go further down this teaching journey. As a 1st year teacher, I am trying my hardest, and it can be easy for me to fall into the trap of teacher comparison, and I need to realize that we all have different starting points. I also wanted to thank these individuals who have really supported me during 2018. I wish I could include everyone that I follow on this list, but these are my top 3. Rae Hughart (@RaeHughart)- She is such an encouraging educator who has inspired me in many ways. She engages her students in internships that connect with the content she teaches. She is a rockstar. Wendy Hankins (@MrsHankinsClass)- She is such an amazing educator and one who has the kindest heart. She is always there to encourage and support, and I am so thankful for her. Alana Stanton (@AlanaStanton)- She has a huge heart, and she sends me voxer messages that brighten my day and always lift my spirit. I am so proud of all that she has accomplished, and I am so incredibly thankful that she is a part of my journey.
3 Comments
Alana Stanton
12/26/2018 05:14:45 pm
Susan,
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Wendy Hankins
12/27/2018 05:05:04 am
Susan,
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Jim Alexander
12/27/2018 08:46:19 am
Alana,
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AuthorMy name is Susan, and I will be starting my first year of teaching this year. Archives
December 2018
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