Lessons Feedback

Hello, all my readers!

I wanted to thank you for your support, first of all... it means a lot to me that you all are following my adventure! :)  I also value your feedback, so here goes!

Can you mention a lesson/lessons you had in school - a project, some sort of worksheet, video, etc - that really worked and helped you learn something?  I'd prefer if it was for an English (or Latin) class, but I'm open to whatever subject.  I'm going to need a lot of ideas for lesson plans, so it doesn't hurt to ask students (past or present)!

You can leave a comment in the comment box - say what subject the class was, what you were learning for that lesson, and then what you did in that class or for that assignment that really clicked for you.  I appreciate it :)

INTERVIEW UPDATE

I had my interview today at the high school!  I didn't get too lost (shout out to Carrie for praying to St. Anthony to save lost Amelias) and I have a 40 minute interview. If I had thought about it, I would've taken a picture in the suit I was wearing, but after being jittery to the point that my heart and my stomach became one organ (or so it felt), I was so tired when I got home that I just got changed immediately. Ah, well!  I was only nervous all yesterday to the moment I met the woman I was interviewing with.

They were friendly and very welcoming. They wasted no time making me feel at home and talking to the one woman was very calming to my jitters - I knew once I had conversations, that would calm me down.  For once, there was only one thing that conquered my fear of driving to new places - fear of the interview.  You always have those horror questions run through your head, as if your interviewer is trying to break you... my brain is too tired to think of something right now.  They didn't ask me any of those nightmare questions you hope you never get at an interview - they asked me about my experience, who I was, how I would implement technology (they're a very tech-savvy school, however you spell "savvy"), different things on my career path, etc; I asked them a couple of questions like what resources did the school have, what's the student population like, spiritual resources for students/faculty, etc.  It was a really nice conversation and I was excited to be there and happy to be there talking to them.  I'll know in 3 weeks whether or not they want me to come in for another interview.

Even if I don't get this job, I at least got to know them and their school a little better and it was an adventure driving around!  I only made 2 wrong turns but I corrected them with the help of the GPS... sometimes, the signs were lacking, so it was easy to miss the turn, but the TomTom always knew the way.  Thank goodness.

Also, more promising news! I was talking to some people at my priest's farewell shindig about how I wanted to find either an English teacher job or a Latin teacher job, and one father approached me and asked if I could tutor his daughter in Latin and potentially ancient Greek! They actually have Hansen and Quinn... I told him that Hansen and Quinn will need to be taken REALLY REALLY SLOWLY, especially since she's in Latin 1.  For those that don't know, Hansen and Quinn are the two authors of a certain book, Ancient Greek: An Intensive Course, and it looks like the textbook added above.  I studied ancient Greek from this tome and let me tell you, this book does not lie when it says it's INTENSIVE.  College friends of mine have seen me carry this book around campus as though I were Hermione Granger with her "light reading".  I've scared some curious people looking over my shoulder - they see the Greek letters and run away.  Anyway, I start tomorrow and I'm going to be tutoring her twice a week for a total of 2 hours a week on Latin. I'm happy I have a Latin student!

I don't think I have anything else to say for now... my brain is fried.  I just wanted to update my followers on my teacher progress. :)

Side Note...

I found a cool little resource for teachers on Pinterest! It has tips for pretty much everything... it made me pretty excited.

http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/

First Interview!

Tomorrow, I have my first interview for a full-time English teacher position at a high school at noon.  I am so nervous!  My email has been on the fritz, so they didn't get my first message; luckily, they got my second message today!  I worry about my qualifications and whether or not they will want to hire me because I lack formal experience.  I have to be confident, and I will be!  I did buy a suit the other day... perhaps I'll post pictures if I have time.  If I get the position, I'm going to have to move because it's an hour away from my house (so, Rutgers people, good news for you!)... I'm so nervous!  But I have good ideas.  I will just have to show them. 

In any case, prayers would be really, really, really appreciated. This is my first chance to show the world that I CAN be a great teacher.

"Be The Leaf"

Meelo bends his arms in impossible ways to illustrate this point, I guess. 

I have nostalgia today.  It was my last day at the one branch of the tutoring center at which I have been working for the past year.  I am never going to step into that building again, or drive that drive ever again. Tomorrow is my second to last day at the West Windsor branch... due to some weirdness, I have to work on Tuesday... when KPLC is closed. I just go when they tell me.

I feel at these moments, when change comes, very reflective.  This place has really shaped me into the teacher I am going to be.  My experiences next year will shape me even more.  I have had the thought that it is good to be a blank canvas; I thought about that at this past retreat.  God will shape us into who we are meant to be, as long as we allow the Spirit to move.  If we accept that we are a blank canvas, we will be shaped into something beautiful - we can't know or understand the end result, but it will be better than our wildest dreams.  This is how I feel with my experiences with teaching - they have shaped me into someone new. I have learned about myself while I have been a teacher; I've even learned about the things I thought I knew 100% - I found I only knew 100% (ish) of only ONE SIDE. I never saw the world in this way before, until this year.  I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to see this new horizon of potential stretching before me.

It has not been an easy ride.  One *key* thing I learned this year is never-ending patience and flexibility.  I have definitely learned to go with the flow: kid doesn't show up for class? Okay.  Kid didn't do his homework? Okay.  Do something new, out of your comfort zone? Okay.  Extra 3 kids show up for a class whom you weren't expecting? Fine, we can work with that. At first, I didn't understand or like it... yet, to quote the Avatar, a teacher must "be the leaf": be as a leaf in the wind.  Teaching isn't something you force your way through - you dance your way through, with grace.  You don't confront your obstacles - you work with them and are attuned to their movements and changes. If you do well, you should find the rhythm at which to dance to change directions, avoiding major obstacles and using them to grow.  (Of course, that doesn't mean that everything is "okay" - classroom management and boundaries are incredibly important!)

I have really enjoyed every moment I have spent in the classroom - my successes, my failures. At the beginning, I had one girl withdraw because she was moving, and she hadn't improved at all.  I took the girl's lack of improvement to mean my own failure, blaming my inexperience.  At the close of this year, however, I have learned how to tell when a kid has learned, and when he or she has not, and how to fix it and with what materials.  I've learned how important a teacher's presence is and how authoritative one can be just by being oneself and demanding respect. I have learned about a number of modern resources and good classroom ideas.  For example, I want my kids to do a unit on poetry in a way unlike what they've experienced before. Post-modern poetry incorporates technology, particularly music, into it - the kids would love a technologically-relevant, creative project!!! I know I did when I was a student.   I really can't believe how my mindset has changed since I started working there... at the beginning, I really had no clue and no confidence. I felt like I had no idea what I was doing! Taking over extra students from other teachers, experimenting with various ways of running a classroom, and going out of my comfort level was the best thing that I could have ever done.  I have grown so much professionally, mentally, in myself, how I face the world... I am ready.

I can't wait to be back in a classroom (luckily, I have work tomorrow!).  I have made some progress with my applications and cover letters etc. but I still have a lot of schools left to apply to.  I really love my subject areas and teaching so much!  I can't wait to learn how to "be the leaf" next year with my new students! I will miss the ones I had this year, though.  Some of them told me to become a teacher at their own school. I've tried to embrace the loss of my students at KPLC ... I may never see any of them again, even though I enjoyed working with them. I can't say whether it's going to be okay or it's not - it just is and I can only hope for the best.  To be the leaf you must let the wind blow.  That's what I'm trying.  I'm waiting to see where and who I am meant to go and teach; and, as Mary Poppins says, "I will stay until the wind changes," when I am meant to go and serve and give my all somewhere else.  God willing, there is a lot of life left in me... I only hope I can live/give it to inspire others. :)

Blogging Resource!

I am not original!  I'm posting this for myself, but other teachers can use this, too... Anthony sent me this link, and Laurice posted it.

http://blog.web20classroom.org/2012/01/soyou-wanna-be-blogger.html?m=1

Conquered the Praxis II

Now all we need to do is wait for the scores.  The test was really easy... the test was exactly like the practice tests.  There were a few "I don't know this" questions, but most of them were pretty simple.  Perhaps it is too soon to speak, but I completed this 2 hour test within the first hour and 15 minutes, then remained until there were 15 minutes left to check over everything.

The only other test I'm planning on taking for the moment is the Latin test, but I will try to do that sometime in July.

Praxis and Teaching

"Homework used Literature! Student is already asleep..."

I am taking the Praxis II exam for English Literature this Saturday, June 9, at 10:30 AM.  I am pretty sure I will pass it; I've taken 3 practice tests and I only got a few answers wrong on each of them.  The Cliff Notes' one was somewhat more difficult than the official tests, but I still did pretty well on it. We'll just have to see how it goes on test day.  I am still planning to take the Latin Praxis Test Thingy, but I have to schedule that still.  I'm pretty sure I'll be fine on that as well, so long as I brush up on my Roman history, and maybe some Greek history... anyway, the Saturday test.  It will be 2 hours long with 120 multiple choice questions (math majors, do the math... yes, 1 min/question).  Prayers are always appreciated!  

Studying for this Praxis has helped me even in small ways to see how to be a better teacher.  I'm excited to be doing a program where I will actually LEARN how to be a teacher.  There's so much I don't really know yet, but I am eager to take on the challenge so I can help my students more effectively.  All I really want to know is how to do my job really, really well. I never have gone at anything in life that I have really wanted halfheartedly.  

About why I want to be a teacher (good to know, right?).  I have always loved studying.  I know, that's weird.  I was that kid in third grade who was sad that we didn't get more homework than we did - that's how much I loved homework.  I was especially fond of spelling homework for some reason, but that's kinda besides the point.  When I was younger and people would ask what I wanted to be when I grew up, I only ever said I wanted to be a teacher of some kind or I wanted to be an author (still two things I hope to be).  I didn't want to do anything else - some kids want to be doctors or lawyers or whatever, but I really wanted to be a teacher.  I didn't know what else I'd do with myself (not that I couldn't find any other options - I just wanted to be a teacher and I didn't want any other career).  

When I got older, I wasn't sure entirely if that's what I wanted to do - I was very shy growing up, and people from my high school can tell you, I was voted most quiet because I never talked. Going to college cured that, as many people can attest to!  Then I explored a few options, but teaching was still the ultimate goal, which has become especially clear to me this year while I was tutoring and looking for jobs for next year.  However, my primary reason wasn't the kids at first - I was afraid I couldn't relate to them. I really wanted to be a teacher mostly because I loved learning about my subject areas, and I was really passionate about them.  I still have a dream to get my Ph.D one day in Classical Philology (ask me about what that is later) - like I said, I love to study.  I can't see myself never being in school at all.  Now I see that kids are not really all so bad; in fact, they're pretty awesome.  They're just learning things, even the older kids.  I found out that when the kids start to really get my subject areas and appreciate them and learn about them, everything is great in the world. I love it when a student comes up to me and thanks me for teaching them about commas or thanks me for helping them understand how to read better in school. Kids are great to work with. Teaching really just makes sense in my head. 

Teaching isn't something you do to get promoted and make more money; you know you're not going to be making 6-digit numbers when you get into it.  You don't go for a steady job and regular work environment.  You have to LOVE teaching to be a teacher.  You have to have creative passion for your subject area, and you have to be willing to pour yourself into what you're doing for these kids.  You cannot be a half-hearted teacher.  Your teaching style is an art and is self-expression.  In some sense, a teacher is a professional artist.  Or such is my experience.  It's really something your soul gets a lot of good out of.   You really put in a hard day's work, but it's good work.  You have to metaphorically dig in the dirt and get to the roots of things.  

Anyway, I've babbled long enough, once more.  See? This is how I can write 15 page papers... I don't know when to shut up!!!!!! 

The Adventure Begins

Obviously, this is my first post.  I came up with this idea while chatting with Mark R., a good friend of mine from Rutgers, to start a blog on my teaching adventures next year.  I just graduated from college and I am embarking on a new adventure.  I've always been behind the desk, I suppose, having studied all my life, but now I am coming at it from the opposite side of the room - front and center stage!

I'll give some background for those just tuning in... I was accepted into Seton Hall University's 2-year Educational Partners in Catholic Schools (E.P.I.C.S.) Program, which ends up in a M.A. in Education.  Of course, as a Classics major, I was instantly attracted to it because of its acronym; it is a program that is geared towards teachers who want to teach in Catholic schools.  I'm not against public schools, but for now I am going for Catholic education.  Plus, the moral formation the program provides is pretty solid and the school itself is reputable.

At this stage, I am gearing up for the Praxis II exam for English Education (only offered 7 times a year - so if you want to be certified,   LOOK INTO THE DATES THE YEAR BEFORE YOU WANT TO BE CERTIFIED).  I am also studying for the Latin certification exam, which is not a Praxis but whatever.  It does the same job.  I am going to be dual-certified in English and Latin for the time being.  I'm also writing a ton of cover letters and sending out my resume to different places.

The thing I've noticed about cover letters and resumes is that everyone has a different opinion.  What looks great to one person, looks terrible to the next.  And then, teaching cover letters are different from every other kind of cover letter accepted anywhere else.  Therefore I am always spiraling downward in periods of self-doubt and confusion whenever these things are necessary... yet, I find it humorous what people like and dislike.   It's one of those things in life where you look back and laugh, but not while you're doing it. And then there's how special "teaching"is, and how different it is from applying to any other job.  But it is a special profession - that's why I chose it.

By the way, NEVER START YOUR SENTENCES WITH CONJUNCTIONS THE WAY I JUST DID - 'TIS A GRAMMAR NO-NO.

I know how the blogging genre goes: one creates it in a fit of inspiration by some Muse, and as time goes on, it is hardly ever updated, except when the fancy strikes one again when it is no longer relevant.  Well, this is a two-year program and it is my first years of teaching, so I see this possibly going the same route at some point; however, I will try for the sake of my friends and family who want to follow my adventures as a teacher.  Since I will be busy up to my ears, it may be all they see of me!!!!

I think I have babbled on long enough.  Perhaps I should try to end each of these things with a pithy quotation, or begin them, or something.  That seems like an English-teacher-y thing to do. Well, here goes.  A wise friend (Anthony) told me once that teaching and learning is all about self-discovery at the end of the day.  If I am successful, I should learn the one thing that Socrates advises mankind:

"Know thyself."
(Or, "gnothi seauton",  for my classically-minded friends).