Tomorrow is Day 1 of preplanning. I will take the time to build new connections and learn the new way of doing things. It’s weird that I’m going from an Administrator to a Teacher, but it’s my choice. I have to always remember that I come from 18 years of experience, but 12 of the most recent years were in Charter Schools – and District Schools are very different.
I did get a chance to get the keys to my room and learn what I’ll be teaching – 10th graders. That’s super exciting. I have a room that looks very bland and blah right now, but I promise I’ll pick my aesthetic before Meet the Teacher night on Thursday (No pressure!). I have some ideas, but nothing concrete. I’m hoping to figure it out with a trip to the local Teacher Supply Store on Tuesday after a day of off-site training far from my home, but close to the Teacher Supply Store so I have an excuse to go.
My Goals for this week:
- Meet my Department Chair and find out where to get my materials – (Do they have their own curriculum maps or am I going to be doing this on the fly the way I did over 10 years ago?)
- Set up my computer, collect my laptop, and any other such items I need to be able to work the SmartBoard in my room. (Hopefully this will also give me access to Canvas so I can start setting up my course in there.) OMG – I just realized I’m only going to have 1 prep (essentially) – This will be a big change from the 4 preps I had the last time I taught in a District School.
- Soak in all the District knowledge regarding Co-Teaching – yes, I know I “Co-Taught” this PD at my last school, but now I’m going to be building a Co-Teaching room on my campus that’s never been done before. I wonder what’s the same/different?
- Get my first 2 weeks of planning done – I used to have a Semester Syllabus, but because we’re working through the standards and probably doing a lot of “re-teaching” and creative things to help the students understand what they need to do, I doubt that’s going to work. I do want a Semester Goal for my students to have been exposed to specific standards and hopefully met mastery on 75% of those standards by December – a big steep goal to reach!
- Immerse myself in the experience through active listening and contribution when it’s solicited. Just because I have a PhD doesn’t mean I know everything – plus, I believe my years in Charter Schools put me at a disadvantage, but when it comes to the art of Teaching and Learning – I got that!
In addition to my professional goals at school, I need to finish multiple sections of the Reading Content courses I’m co-writing, find a way to support my daughter and cheer her to the finish line with her virtual classes, and remember I’m a wife (and soon to be grandma), too.
It’s going to be a busy *and blissful* week – and even though it sounds like a lot, I only work from 7-2:30 now (except for Meet the Teacher night) so I’ll have time for myself – something I haven’t really had consistently for a very long time.
To all the teachers out there that are returning to your school this week, here’s my advice (not that you’ve asked for it, but…): Remember that in order to truly help our students grow, we must first be open to change. Growth Mindset is a real thing – and it’s our professional responsibility to continue to Grow in order to be the best role models for our students. Our example is what they will mimic in life. When you look around and wonder what is happening in society – you can play the blame game, but that’s a waste of time. At this point it doesn’t matter who is to blame for the chaos in which we live – it’s more important that we decide what we can do to shape, impact, and mold a better future for our students (children, and grandchildren). It all starts with us.
wrightteacherforum.com 