This week I finally made my way back to school for some professional development. Since I was already in the area, I decided to do some updates to my classroom.
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| I moved my file cabinet back to create better feng shui around my desk…although cleaning my desk would probably create more productivity than the moved file cabinet. |
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| New bookshelves, books, curtains, and a neat poster of Grand Central Station 1939 (I’m working on my Gatsby vibe) |
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| Remember when I was bemoaning my recycling? This is the pile that hasn’t yet left my classroom. |
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| One of the stacks of English 3 materials gifted to me by the former English 3 teacher |
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| This poster is very well-traveled; it started in my dorm room in Boston, and since then has lived in three other states before making its subtle way to my English class |
I recently joined the 21st century and got a smart phone; thus, why this post is so much more graphically-inclined than the usual ones.
In all the shifting and new hiring that has happened at my high school over the last two months, we have two brand-new English teachers in our department – like, BRAND-brand-new, just graduated from college. I realize deep down that I graduated just two years ago and have only been teaching one year, but I am so excited to serve as a sort of “mini-mentor” to these two awesome ladies. I can answer questions on lesson plans, student climate, expectations, behaviors, administration, schedules, and anything else that doesn’t require more than one year of experience.
It reminds me of when I was a kid, and there was a HUGE difference between being a third grader and being a fourth grader, or a fourth grader and a fifth grader. Fourth graders were just, you know, so much older and more knowledgeable in the eyes of a third grader. Sure, there were mere months between us, but still. That’s kind of how I feel having one year of teaching experience compared to that of a brand-new teacher. I hung on every word of my co-sophomore teacher last year, and she had only one year of experience on me. She knew what it was like, out in the real world. And now, I get to join those ranks. Don’t get me wrong – I am not a master teacher. Obviously. I don’t even really know what I’m teaching this year, and school starts in three and a half weeks. But it’s nice to know that I have at least a few fewer questions than I did last year. And I know where I’ve made mistakes, so instead of repeating those, I get to make new ones.
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