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We are almost a month in and I am working harder then ever!  I have 3 newish class preps; biology, AP Environmental Science and general Environmental Science.  Add to this, my colleague and I have decided to flip our classroom.  This is a fantastically cool teaching strategy where I no longer give notes and lectures in class.  Instead I record videos of the information and post them on YouTube for the students to watch and take notes and an online quiz.  Then I use class time to expand and do tons of fun and educational labs and activities.  It is exhausting and overwhelming and amazing.  My students are doing phenomenal!  It is amazing to see them work together, gain a deeper understanding and enjoy learning.  

It appears as though it would be a lot less work for me as a teacher, but in reality it is a lot more work and more rewarding as well!  I am continuously walking around guiding, teaching, expanding, questioning and playing devils advocate in class.  Outside of class my grading is more meaningful as the assignment are more culminating rather than periodic and random checks.  I am spending hours on my videos and creating lesson that are awesome and make the material more fluid!  It feels fantastic to be doing something like this.  It’s refreshing, but it’s taking all my time which is why the blog has been getting less attention. 
It’s not that I don’t want to write, it’s that I literally have no time.  I am trying to update 2-3 time a week an hope to get back to my consistent 4-5 time a week post soon.  Until then I will be head deep in amazing educational strategies and refining my craft.

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Work

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I have been timid in writing this post.  I think mainly because I do not want my ex-coworkers to feel like I am rubbing my new job in their face.  I care about my colleagues at ACHS a ton and sympathize with the chaos that is continuously being thrown at them.  I am in awe at how hard they work and how little recognition they get.  Yet, I keep being asked, “how is your new job?”

School has been going for several months now.  I can definitely say that I LOVE my job and I LOVE teaching again and at this point last year I didn’t feel either of those.  I am still very anxious and am always learning new things, but overall, it has been a great choice and change for myself and the family.  ACHS was toxic for me.  When I worked there I was someone that I didn’t like and the negativity was consuming me and being brought into my home-life.  The move to my new school has been eye-opening, supportive, challenging, wonderful and positive.
Before moving schools I had been operating under the assumption that ALL school districts were moving towards what ACHS was doing and that regardless of where I go, education is changing and I would be dealing with the same crap.  It was eye-opening to see that is not the truth.  ACHS is operating and doing the best they can, but the higher ups are not supporting the staff and really giving the kids a chance to be the rock-stars that I caught glimpses of when I worked there.  Here I am reminded consistently what teaching is and that I am the professional and my opinion and expertise matters.  No professional development on how to teach writing or analyze data, just adult conversations that center around positive changes that can help ALL students be successful.  They treat you professionally, they recognize that you know what you are supposed to do and that you are above all HUMAN!  I don’t mean to bash ACHS.  I loved my students, I loved my co-workers, I just am trying to make comparisons.  I think honestly the biggest and best difference for me is that I am treated professionally and that they realize that I have a family.  
Case in point…when I came down with that awful flu and then miscarried last week I had to take 3 days off of work, at the VERY last minute.  I was so worried that I was going to get in huge trouble at work and that I was going to have this held against me.  I came back Wednesday and didn’t talk to too many people, then missed Thursday.  Friday I was greeted with hugs from the admin and nothing but support and encouragement.  It was a great feeling.  They supported me not only professionally but personally and I am so encouraged to know that mistakes are ok and I am not screwing everything up.
Anyways, I love my job, I don’t bring much of it home which means Jason and Eyan love my job and life seems to be coming together.

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