Learn to Teach

For some teachers, the last thing they'd want to do would be to travel to Europe with teenagers on their vacation. But for me, I said "challenge accepted". I love to travel and jumped at the opportunity to spend my February break in Berlin, Prague, Krakow, and Budapest with another teacher, two parents, and eight students from my school. I was very nervous as I had traveled with tour groups before, but never had been the "chaperone". Even though I am still sometimes baffled when someone asks if there is an adult in the room and looks to me, I felt that overall the trip was a success. The kids were able to see so many different places and for most of them, this was their very first time in Europe. It was awesome to see them in awe of the gates of Babylon in Berlin's Pergamon museum or to see a black light theatre show in Prague. Travel opens people's eyes to things they've only read about or things they've never seen or heard of before. Desp...

2019 is my year of writing. My goal was to write more and to use writing as a form of self-care even self-therapy. However, I've found that with support from teacher-writers, I've been able to use my writing to make an impact in my school. So far, my writing has helped me speak up at a school community meeting with administrators and parents and students as well as plan and execute a World Language Honor Society. I feel like my commitment to writing has helped me grow professionally and has helped increase my confidence as well. I know that writing is a difficult partner and it is always easy to love. Sometimes you neglect it, sometimes you are apteuint with it but it does not return your love, but I am encouraged by the small victories writing has already helped me achieve.

I write today in reference to some pretty hurtful comments by POTUS' son. Teachers work so hard every single day for their kids, including their summers "off". Teachers wake up anywhere form the hours of 5-6 am to commute to their schools, perhaps bring their own kids to school, preparing lessons, grading papers, cleaning their classrooms. Teachers teach anywhere from 30 to 60 to 130 kids in one day. They have to remember all these names and strengths and challenges and lives and struggles and hopes and dreams. Teachers serve as mentors, nurses, therapists, educators and examples. No matter what our moods or mental states or stress levels, our students are watching. We are examples to every single student we see everydays, even to those we do not teach. We are more than the stereotype of those who "can't do" or those who "enjoy summers off". We fight four kids to learn to be whole people, not just test takers. We do more in one day than some do...

       Today I had an experience not very unique with my students. In helping my ELL students with an English essay, I found that I myself did not understand the prompt or the article. I feel that secondary ELLs face a unique set of challenges in that they are to be writing college level essays in a school system they may be new to. This is not to say that the students cannot do the work, on the contrary they can.      However, we as teachers need to break things down much more in order for all our students to understand the task. All the acronyms in the world do not guarantee students understand the task we ask of them. Many students are not used to writing about their personal opinion and they may not have a opinion on the taks we give. This experience today made me frustrated as a writer, struggling to write my own mentor sentences. I am reminded of the importance of knowing what we are asking of our students as teachers and always making sure if...

Today was a challenging day. Just another Monday but we have a day off tomorrow. Feeling out of it after a night of not so restful sleep, I felt out of sorts today. One of my students shared with me a tragedy in her family that happened over the weekend. I felt awful and did the best I could to listen and be there for my student. This reminded me that no matter how I may feel, my students are often going through much more difficult experiences. I was reminded of the significance of relationships. Students need to have teachers who care about them as people. Many students have a story beneath their head on their desk and lack of participation. I hope I can continue to work hard to be understanding of my students as people and not just a number in my gradebook.

Some days feel stuck Like riding a bicycle with wheels that won't turn Some days are ordinary Some days extraordinary And some stuck No one particular moment was bad or good But the overall feeling is stuck It seems that hard work doesn't always pay off Best laid plans aren't pulled off The to do list wasn't completed Stuck in a haze It's difficult to remember the task at hand It's hard to stay present and in the moment Stuck in a pattern Stuck in thinking it can't get better or it won't Time to get unstuck Time to reset and restart