People have always told me to dream big, and, sometimes, that is easier said than done. As a soon to be 1st year teacher, I felt supported mainly because of Twitter. Of course, I met amazing professors throughout my time at ISU and amazing CT's as well, but I found myself wanting something more. Due to having some time on my hands this summer, I decided that, if I wanted to try something new and venture beyond what I am used to, now is the right time to start. That is where my vision for #newteachertribe came into play.
To say that I have been overwhelmed by the support I have received thus far is an understatement. I thought that I would get a few likes, but it has surpassed that beyond my wildest dreams. I have professors from other states wanting to get their new teachers to join in, and I truly could not be more thankful. I posted a tweet yesterday around 7:40 in the morning, and it has 320 likes, 18 retweets, 67 comments, and it has reached 23,511 individuals as of this moment. Think about what impact one idea has! This #newteachertribe will be helpful for me due to starting this journey, but I envision this hashtag to be one where new teachers can share successes and concerns while mentioning questions they have and advice they would like to receive. I will be hosting a chat potentially on Sunday nights at 8 PM to get us ready for the week ahead. At first, I will be moderating the chat and will have topics such as classroom management, differentiation, educational technology, etc, and eventually, I will have a sign up sheet and have guest moderators host the chat so they can get their chance to shine as well and share their perspective. I would not have been able to start this journey without my former teachers, professors, and of course, my #PLN. They all inspired me to reach for the stars, and due to being a soon to be new teacher, I have that excitement that I want to contain and not lose. One teacher replied to me and said she wants to feel like a new teacher again. This hashtag is for new/veteran teachers who want to support each other during this process because, as @raehughart mentioned, it takes a village. No one should be doing this alone, and I am a young teacher just starting my journey, but I want to leave a legacy behind. My goal is to be the best teacher I can be for my students, but I also want to support new teachers coming into the profession and be a voice for them along with being an advocate especially due to myself a new teacher right now. We all heard about the drop out rate going in for new teachers, and I know that no one wants to be a part of that statistic. That's why this vision became a reality for me. Sometimes, it takes one tweet to make a change. I do not know where this hashtag will take me, but I am grateful for starting this process, and I am excited to be the founder of the #newteachertribe.
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I had the pleasure of getting to know an incredible teacher last semester whose light truly shined so brightly, but that did not mean her journey was always easy. In life, we all fall down sometimes, and we need strength to pick us back up. This teacher dealt with loss due to her sister passing away from cancer, and the way that she talked about her sister made me realize how much she truly meant to her. On Twitter, I posted a tweet about wanting to give back to her, and I was grateful to have had Taylor Mali, Dave Burgess, and another author send her books and encouraging notes. The power of connection continues to amaze me.
As I am embarking on my journey as a soon to be 1st year teacher, I wanted to take this time to dive deep into what made Mrs. Peoples such an amazing educator and one who inspired me to be my best on a daily basis. I was blessed on many occasions to see her kindness shine through, and not only was she kind to her colleagues, but she also blessed her students in multiple ways. When she was out, the students made her a card and waited eagerly for her to come back. She inspired me to be the best version of myself, and she took time to brighten my spirits when I was having a rough day. I strongly believe that we have angels around us, and I think that Mrs. Peoples is one. She cares a lot about others and is truly a light in this world. As I get older, I know that I want to take a page out of her book and shine my light in others lives. I will never forget the impact she has made in my life, and I know that she will continue to impact other lives as well. This post does not do her enough justice, but I hope it made you realize the unknown impact that we can have. I will be graduating in two days, and as my CT told me, graduating can oftentimes feel like a surreal experience. I finished student teaching last week, and my last day was truly one to remember. In the middle of my math lesson, my CT wrote "It's time to celebrate Ms. J's last day" on the smartboard while I was walking around the classroom. She tend told the students that we were all going outside. She had the students arrange themselves in a circle, and the students shared good memories that they had of me and funny moments. It was heartwarming to see that the students appreciated the fact that I was always willing to help. Then, a few students came out with a storage container that had 3 layers filled with teaching supplies and notes from a student/parent. My CT mentioned that the day was bittersweet because, on one hand, they were sad that it was my last day, but they were also happy because they know that I am starting this new chapter in my life.
The reason that I wrote this post is because I wanted to thank the individuals who got me to this point. Of course, my parents were instrumental due to them helping me with the financial aspect of college and always supporting my dream. My mom just told me, a few days, that she loved how I never give up no matter what obstacles come my way. My faith also helped me because, through prayer, I was able to find the light at the end of tunnel and never felt alone. College is filled with a lot of twists and turns, and I am happy that I stayed on the right path and focused on what really mattered the most to me which was my education. I also wanted to thank my professors. Without them, I would absolutely not be where or who I am today. They molded me into the young woman I am today and into the teacher that I am as well. My diploma means a lot to me, but they are all a part of that. I think of my diploma as a mosaic with little pieces that come from all the individuals who have shaped me into who I am today. I am still applying for positions and will hopefully have my own classroom in the near future. I am excited to officially graduate. A lot has happened for this past year. I had an article written about my Twitter usage, I obtained 2 scholarships, and I obtained Honors Program Scholar and Honors in my Major. Thank you all for being a part of my journey. I have one more week of student teaching which is hard to believe. I learned a lot during these 15 weeks ranging from the importance of setting rules and expectations at the beginning to the importance of building positive relationships with your students. I am grateful for my cooperating teacher who showed me the ropes and truly pushed me to be the best version of myself.
The amazing @raehughart sent me a tweet on Thursday about how I should never be okay with comfort. She tweeted "Never get Comfortable - comfort means you need to try something new!". I thought about those words afterwards, and I realized that it is important to stray away from the status quo. For me, Twitter provides me with the opportunity to venture outside of my comfort zone and take a risk. I joined Twitter last May, and in a year, I have grown my PLN to include over 2,000 members which is truly humbling due to having that notion of just being a pre-service teacher and not having a lot to offer. I could not have been more wrong because I have heard from a few individuals that I inspire them to connect on Twitter and take a risk. That article that was published by the college of education at my university meant a lot to me because it showed me that my hard work is paying off and that people do take note of the time I spend building my own network. At first, Twitter was just a hobby during the summer, and I tried to participate in at least one chat each evening. I took about an hour a night to jump in and connect with others, and even throughout the school year, I still devote an hour to unwind and jump on Twitter in order to get recharged for the day ahead. Now, of course, it is an investment due to needing to find the time to get on Twitter and connect with others, but, to me, the growth I have experienced is worth more than anything. I consider myself to be an introvert, and Twitter gave me the confidence I need to share my thoughts with the world. I have always loved to write, but I never would have started a blog if I did not see others doing it on Twitter. My PLN is interested in hearing my perspective due to it being a fresh perspective, and the fact that I have had opportunities to be a leader in terms of starting my own chat and even contributing door prizes to the edcamp is great. I am able to learn from others, and although I have a lot to learn, I feel like I am heading in the right direction due to staying connected and learning more about the profession that is my passion. I recently watched "The Greatest Showman", and one quote from the song "The Other Side" resonates with me. That line is "So trade that typical for something colorful. And if it's crazy, live a little crazy." I took a risk and joined Twitter a year ago. My professors have been super supportive and encouraging, and although it is an investment, Twitter has changed my life. I am a testament to the impact Twitter can have because, although I am still looking for a teaching position, I know that I can mention the professional development opportunities that I have had and the fact that I learn beyond the classroom. I am young and excited about my future, and I know that my passion will be sustained due to continuing to make it a priority to connect on Twitter. I am still in shock when people say I inspire because I am continuously inspired my members of my PLN who are innovative, kind, and true leaders that push me to be better on a daily basis. I do not want to settle for average. Of course, I want to teach and make a difference, but Twitter gives me the chance to be a leader. I go on Twitter because I have a passion for learning, and I am doing it for the students that I teach. I want to teach better and stay current so that I can give my students the education that they deserve. I am okay with taking risks because I know that implementing something new takes time. As a soon to be 1st year teacher, I know that I want to feel comfortable and play it safe, but that strays away from what I desire from myself. I want to dip my toes in just like a child slowly entering the ocean, but eventually, I want to dive right in and let the waves propel me in the direction I want to go. I have a dream to write a book pertaining to education and my social media usage, but, again, I do this because I love working with young adolescents and have been inspired by the gifts they share with the world. Due to graduating in three weeks which is genuinely a dream come true for me, I wanted to take this time to thank my former teachers and how they have inspired me to become a teacher. As a young child, I wanted to teach, but if it was not for my teachers, I am not sure if I would have continued to pursue down this path. They inspired me with their kind hearts on a daily basis and were the perfect examples of the teacher I strive to be like in the future.
It all started with my 4th grade teacher who reminded me of Mrs. Honey from Matilda. She was kind, and she welcomed me in due to being a new student at the school. She made me feel like I had something to offer, and I still remember when she gave me a bag of tootsie rolls which were my favorite candy due to being one of the students who read the most books. I remember that moment like it was yesterday because this was the 1st time in my life when a teacher truly cared about who I was a person. I wrote in my journal from that year that I wanted to become a teacher, and I know that she is a major reason why. In 5th grade, I had a rough year. I broke my arm, and my grandma ended up passing away which resulted in me missing school for 3 weeks due to needing to travel to Poland for the funeral. I remember arriving back home after the 3 weeks have passed by and seeing a note from my teacher in the mail. She told me that she was praying for me and my family, and she genuinely cared about what I was going through. I was young, but that moment meant a lot to me due to her going the extra mile and showing me that she truly cared. During middle school and high school, I have also met countless educators who have shaped my life. If I wrote about each one of them, this blog would quickly turn into a story. I know people say that, if you have one person who cares about you, you are lucky, but I have such a huge support network which ranges from my family, PLN, former teachers, and my professors. I am still in the process of applying for teaching positions, and yesterday, I decided to go out for tea with my friend around 10 in the evening due to needing a break from job applications. What started out as a quick run to tea became the inspiration for this blog post. Yesterday, right behind my friend and I in line, a group of 4 students were behind us waiting to order. I glanced at them and proceeded with my order, but when I walked past them, I heard whispers like "She was so nice". It turns out that these four girls were my former students. I interned at a school last semester, and these students remembered me. Due to them being nervous to say hi, I approached them and had a brief conversation. They mentioned that they were in 8th grade now, and I mentioned that I would be graduating in a few weeks. To them, it may have been just a brief encounter with a former teacher, but, to me, it was the first moment when I felt like I truly made a difference. I remember seeing teachers at a store and being afraid of approaching them, and it was an eye opening experience for me to see that the table has turned. I want to be the kind of teacher who talks to former students and takes the time to say hi when they are hesitating . Our kids deserve to have someone who cares on their side 24/7, and yesterday, I shifted my perspective and realized the immense power I have to be a teacher that they remember. I hope my future students say "She was so nice" when they see me walking by, and I am excited for my future because I now realize that I can be the type of teacher I dreamed about becoming. Never lose your passion, and keep your light shining brightly. Our students need you, and they deserve your passion and genuine goodness . When I am wondering if I am making a difference, I will think back to those four students who reassured me that I absolutely am. While the rest may still be unwritten, I know that I am on the right path. I aim to live a life I am proud of. As @nankr1120 tweeted out, " To believe you can strengthens every fiber of your being, to believe you are worthy humbles your core. But to be believed in creates endless possibilities." Without people believing in me, I do not know where I would be today. I aim to inspire, and even though I was born premature, I have come a long way, and I have faith that my story will inspire others. I learned a lot this week and pushed myself to be more consistent while implementing new ways to get my students attention. At first, I was using the "if you hear me, clap once", and it did work for a while, but as my former supervisor said, I should use it until it does not work anymore. This week, I transitioned to just raising my hand and waiting for the students to follow my lead. This, along with changing the seating arrangement, has been helpful in regards to classroom management. Classroom management is one area that I am trying to improve in because I want all my students to be able to learn, and although I know that it is broad, I want to have a toolkit that I can utilize down the road because what works for this group of students may not work for my students that I have next year.
My cooperating teacher has been writing day to day comments and suggestions on how my lessons are going, and this has been great for me because I am able to read the comments prior to teaching the lesson again to another group of students and make those changes. A lot goes on in a day, but the fact that I get to pause and reflect is crucial to becoming an effective teacher. Due to it being my student teaching semester, I have had a lot on my plate with EdTPA and the job search, and although some days are easier than others, I love what I do and am grateful for the experience I am receiving because, even though I have room for improvement, I know that I have grown a lot since my first clinical experience. The reason that I titled this blog post never lose focus is because, ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to teach. That passion for teaching burns inside of me and is something that I hope others see. At first, I was discouraged because I was doubting myself and my abilities, but looking back, those doubts and insecurities that I sometimes faced pushed me to work twice as hard to overcome them. I remind myself to never lose focus and keep my arrow pointing forwards. I may take a few steps back sometimes, but I am further than I ever dreamed possible. Many things have happened this week that showed me I am on the right path. In the back of my mind, I was stressing about EdTPA due to needing to complete it this weekend, but in the midst of that, I got an email that an article would be published about my Twitter presence, and after applying for two teaching positions two days ago, my principal at the school where i am currently student teaching told me today that I have an interview on Monday for an ELL teaching position. I believe that all things happen for a reason, and I know that where I end up teaching is the place where I was meant to be. I just need to follow my arrow wherever it points and keep striving for genuine goodness. To conclude, I am thankful for my amazing PLN who always provide me with words of encouragement, I would not be where I am today without all of you, and I am so blessed. This post strays away from my usual. Inspiration can stem from many places, and I have been inspired by one teacher (@raehughart) more than once. If are reading my blog and do not know who Rae Hughart is, you are missing out. She is a phenomenal educator with such a passion for teaching. She has accomplished so much as an educator so far, and I aspire to teach with the amount of passion she has.
I remember seeing her at a teaching conference (#t21con) at my university, and I left her session filled with joy and inspiration. This has never happened to me before at any other session. Little did I know that session would be the start of something bigger. After hearing about the teach further model, I got excited because that was how I envisioned teaching math. When I was a student, I wanted to know the reason why, and especially due to teaching middle school students, I want them to see the instant relevance. The teach further model has expanded since I last saw her present, and the grid method then came into the picture. I plan on using the grid method next year in my classroom because this is the direction I would like to go in. Rae has inspired countless of individuals, and she will inspire many more. She has one of the kindest hearts and deserves much recognition. She works so hard, and that hard work has paid off. She has obtained many awards and is a strong advocate for Middle Level education. She teaches from the heart and is the embodiment of what it means to be a passionate educator. I hope I can impact lives just like Rae has impacted mine and many others, and I know that her career is just starting to take off. I have no doubt in my mind that she will continue to be successful at everything that she does, and I know that she is changing the world one student at a time. Let's all take a page out of her book and truly teach further. She has influenced me as a pre-service teacher, and I plan on spreading her passion for teaching. I am lucky to have met her because she has changed me for good. If you have not followed her on Twitter, please do so. I promise you will not regret it. During this past week, we had PARCC testing, and I was able to see the effect that testing had on these young adolescents. I had a student who worried that he would not be able to pass 6th grade because of this test due to that being the message he got from home, and another student started to cry due to worrying. It saddened me that this testing culture has led these students to view themselves as a test score instead of the amazing qualities that they have that cannot be measured such as passion, excitement, and many more. Our school has such a positive culture, and we make sure that every student knows that he/she should try his/her best. I also had time to give the students the reward which was approximately 6-10 minutes of free time depending on how behaved they were the week before. My students enjoyed the reward especially due to it being PARCC testing and them needing a break, but for me, it was hard to let go of that control due to some students choosing to not play a math game and just sit there. After reflecting on whether or not that system worked for me, I though it worked well to an extent, but I felt like some students did not seem to care whether or not the class would lose time. Due to that being the case, while implementing this system, I was trying to think of another one. I saw a teacher post about a system where, if a student is talking, he/she gets his/her name written on the board. If the same student talks again, the students gets a check which is like a warning. If the student talks a third time, he/she would get a check and a consequence. I wrote names of students on the board for my EDTPA forms, and when a student sees his/her name on the board, they begin to ask questions and wonder what this is for. I am planning on trying out this new system and seeing if it works better for me. I would have to explain what the new system is to my students so that we are on the same page, but at this point, I want to try new things to see what works particularly for this group of students. Also, I was focused on consistency last week, and I felt like it paid off because the students began to see that, if they were not doing what I asked them to do, they would have to go sign the caution log. Although this system works, I know that, as a teacher, I do not always update the caution log online as much as I should, and, because of that, the students do not get an immediate consequence following 3 cautions. I feel like, if I did update it on a daily basis and assign consequences the day after, this would be more effective. I also started using Google Keep to keep track of to- do lists and suggestions. It has kept me focused on what I strive to accomplish on a daily basis because, as a teacher, my brain has many file cabinets open. I learned that I need to write things down in order to remember them, and for me, Google Keep is a system that I will utilize next year as well to keep me from feeling overwhelmed. I am doing my EDTPA this upcoming week, so I have been busy planning my lessons, but I am excited to reflect on my teaching so that I can get better. I aim to be a reflective and responsive educator, and I am amazed by my PLN on a daily basis . A teacher on my team told me that she should be more active on Twitter due to seeing me bring in these new ideas. I introduced her to SeeSaw, and she said that the students loved it. It made me smile when a student came up to me thanking me for introducing that platform to the other teacher, and it also made me smile when I forwarded a blog post from Danny Steele (@SteeleThoughts) called Every Kid to my team teachers. A teacher on my team shared the information, and as a school, we are going to do that activity that was mentioned with our students. Through this, I learned that change can happen if a group of individuals wholeheartedly believe in the change and take initiative to make it happen. I think my favorite part of the week was getting to email 17 teachers/ professors/ faculty members at my school. We had Safety Week at our school following the tragedy that occurred at Stoneman Douglas, and we had a challenge to give 17 high fives or 17 smiles. I took it upon myself to spread kindness and thank my former teachers and other individuals who made a difference in my life. The responses I got are below, and the responses truly made me tear up. While I was figuring out which teachers to email, I saw the name of a biology teacher I had who I have not emailed since I left high school. She mentioned below that she had tears in her eyes after reading my email, and it made me realize how much a small act of kindness can truly go a long way. How often do we forget to thank the individuals who make a difference? Do the people who have made an impact in your life know that they made a difference? Even though I try to express gratitude, I fall short, but I promise that the time you invest will reap many benefits. I read Lee Ann Halls post this morning which truly spoke to me. I am a student teacher, and I am passionate about utilizing Twitter for educational purposes, but sometimes, when I look at all the great things being shared, I question whether or not I am doing enough.
I really enjoyed one of the questions on #waled chat on Thursday which asked us to reflect on an average lesson. Some days, I admit to teaching lessons that are perceived as "average", but I am always striving to get better. As a student teacher, I have ideas of how I want to structure my classroom next year, and I want to set a solid foundation for both myself and my future students. I want my students to enjoy math and see the beauty of it while cultivating a growth mindset as well. The reason that this post is called failing forward is because I believe that attitude is everything. When I make a mistake, I try to think in my head "how fascinating" which is something I learned from a LeaderShape session. It keeps me focused on the positives and makes me realize that I need to figure out how to change something in order to make that lesson go better next time. We all fall down from time to time, and, when I have a rough day once in a while, I reread sections from "Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth" by Aaron Hogan which keeps me focused on the fact that not everything I do has to be perfect. I tend to be a perfectionist, so that mentality of being a "perfect" teacher led me to worry about whether or not I would be able to meet the standards that were expected of me, but after reading that book, I realized that failing forward is the key. A professor of mine told me that what truly matters is how we react to a situation, and I view that to be true. Our response can escalate or deescalate a situation, and that is a heavy burden to bear, but from what I have experienced thus far during my student teaching experience, a caring teacher truly can make a difference. When a student of mine emailed me that she was dealing with things in her personal life and that I made her excited to go to math, that almost brought me to tears. She was missing school a few times, and I emailed her parents letting her know how proud I was that she got a 4 on her last quiz. The student emailed me back saying how happy those emails I send make her, and she thanked me for cheering her up on her most miserable days. She also said that she does not know what she would do without me, her family, and the rest of her teachers. Now, if that email did not make my day, I do not know what would have, I got this email the day before my job fair, and I talked about that impact. This student has become a big part of why I teach, and I wish she knew the impact she has made on my life . I have hard days when I come home crying, but that email is one I will treasure forever because it showed me that someone is watching and someone takes notice of all that I do. It is so true that our students end up inspiring us to do better. I take pride in failing forward because #kidsdeserveit. I will be the first to admit that today was a rough day. We all have those days in education where we feel like we are falling short or feel like a failure, when, in reality. that is far from the truth. I tend to be hard on myself and, due to struggling with managing student behavior at this point in time, I feel like I have been focusing on that without realizing the good I am doing.
Those positive emails sent home, those student nominations, the smiles and high fives I give on a daily basis- those things matter. Yes, planning, instruction, and assessment are vital components of being a teacher, and they are components that I am continuously trying to improve in, but when I am losing focus on what is really important, then it becomes an issue. I care about my students, and when I had a substitute in my room, he told me that nobody could say that I am not working hard and do not care. I beat myself up over little mistakes due to wanting to be perfect, and I have to learn to find a little bit of goodness in every single day because, if I do not, this career can be overwhelming. I broke down after school, and when I was reflecting, I realized that, thus far, the reason I cannot manage student behavior as effectively as I would like to is because I was making it harder than it needs to be. I need to do a better job at being consistent and having high expectations while giving appropriate wait time because, by doing that, I feel like the management issues will begin to be resolved, at least, to some extent. Even experienced teachers have rough days, and as a student teacher, I know that I am prepared and supported which means a lot to me. Not one day goes by where I am not grateful for my cooperating teacher or my Twitter PLN who remind me to be a light in the darkness and teach from the heart. Yes, this career can be draining, and we have days where we may feel like we are losing our marbles, but, even today, when I was not feeling my best, I found a little light, and that was in my 5th hour class. I was better at giving wait time and shifting their attention back, and I had no discipline problems. Now, my focus is getting every single one of my classes to be like my 5th hour. I am a student teacher, and I was vulnerable in this post, but I think that, if I do not fail, I cannot see how far I have really come. I am a work in progress, and that is okay. I just have to let go of my perfectionism and give 110 percent because, in the end, I know that things will work out, and I will be the teacher I have wanted to be since day one. |
AuthorMy name is Ms. Jachymiak, and I am a pre-service teacher currently attending Illinois State University. This blog follows my journey as a student teacher. @MsJachymiak Archives
May 2018
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