And now, for something completely different...
I've decided it's time to get back to posting to my livejournal. First, let me do a quick update on where I've been for the last 14 or so weeks.
At the end of January, I started student teaching, meaning I effectively had two jobs, only one for which I was being paid (the other I actually had to pay to do). It was a 12 week program (13 if you count spring break). I was basically full time teaching for about 5 weeks of it, with gradually moving from observing to teaching one unit per day to teaching a half day to full time back to teaching one unit a day and finally just observing again. All the while I was doing this, I also had the wonderful opportunity to attend a student teaching seminar once a week, take three big tests for my teaching license, plus write many, many papers (i.e. lesson plans, reflections, etc.). Looking back, I'm amazed I got it all done.
A lot of people at my seminar had plenty of horror stories from their experience. I can only say wonderful things about it. I was assigned first grade (which certainly wouldn't have been my first choice, but my teaching license will be K-8, so 1st grade is definitely part of that). My mentoring teacher was part of the same program I am in just five years ago, so she knew the drill very well. Unlike other mentoring teachers that I've heard are reluctant to let go of their classrooms, she had me doing everything. This even included report cards and parent/teacher conferences. The good news is that she was so organized and structured, her classroom could pretty much run on autopilot for a lot of the time (incredibly surprising considering they were first graders).
Still, I discovered teaching can be very hard at times (even with a bunch of first graders who basically know the drill). There were times early on when I could have pulled out my hair. By the end though, I think they got used to me and had learned a lot (I'm proud to say that 14 out of 19 of them were reading above grade level when I finished student teaching, 4 of them with significant gains actually during this time).
Now, I get the wonderful opportunity to get a teaching job in what many consider the absolute worst time for teachers in recent memory. The three largest districts in the state are laying off teachers, even some tenured ones. With hundreds and hundreds of unemployed teachers out in the market, that obviously is going to flow to the rest of the state. The good news is that my first grade experience should make me a relatively unique commodity (a male primary grade teacher), so I'll see where that gets me. I already have my sights set on a particular opening, and I think I've got some pretty good leads.
Most of all, I already miss my first graders. I did volunteer to chaperone a field trip with them next week (provided no parents were interested in the job, of course). Now that I'm only working one job (and even getting paid for it), I actually feel comfortable making some livejournal posts, so be prepared!
At the end of January, I started student teaching, meaning I effectively had two jobs, only one for which I was being paid (the other I actually had to pay to do). It was a 12 week program (13 if you count spring break). I was basically full time teaching for about 5 weeks of it, with gradually moving from observing to teaching one unit per day to teaching a half day to full time back to teaching one unit a day and finally just observing again. All the while I was doing this, I also had the wonderful opportunity to attend a student teaching seminar once a week, take three big tests for my teaching license, plus write many, many papers (i.e. lesson plans, reflections, etc.). Looking back, I'm amazed I got it all done.
A lot of people at my seminar had plenty of horror stories from their experience. I can only say wonderful things about it. I was assigned first grade (which certainly wouldn't have been my first choice, but my teaching license will be K-8, so 1st grade is definitely part of that). My mentoring teacher was part of the same program I am in just five years ago, so she knew the drill very well. Unlike other mentoring teachers that I've heard are reluctant to let go of their classrooms, she had me doing everything. This even included report cards and parent/teacher conferences. The good news is that she was so organized and structured, her classroom could pretty much run on autopilot for a lot of the time (incredibly surprising considering they were first graders).
Still, I discovered teaching can be very hard at times (even with a bunch of first graders who basically know the drill). There were times early on when I could have pulled out my hair. By the end though, I think they got used to me and had learned a lot (I'm proud to say that 14 out of 19 of them were reading above grade level when I finished student teaching, 4 of them with significant gains actually during this time).
Now, I get the wonderful opportunity to get a teaching job in what many consider the absolute worst time for teachers in recent memory. The three largest districts in the state are laying off teachers, even some tenured ones. With hundreds and hundreds of unemployed teachers out in the market, that obviously is going to flow to the rest of the state. The good news is that my first grade experience should make me a relatively unique commodity (a male primary grade teacher), so I'll see where that gets me. I already have my sights set on a particular opening, and I think I've got some pretty good leads.
Most of all, I already miss my first graders. I did volunteer to chaperone a field trip with them next week (provided no parents were interested in the job, of course). Now that I'm only working one job (and even getting paid for it), I actually feel comfortable making some livejournal posts, so be prepared!