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| Not roses, but these dahlias in Austria were the most beautiful I've ever seen! |
Some of my roses for 2017-2018 thus far include:
The quest for college pennants. Throughout the first few months of the year, I've reached out to dozens of colleges in an attempt to get promotional materials and pennants to display at my school. My school is working on creating more of a college and career culture, so I'm trying to help by acquiring materials to help assist in the development of that culture. It's really repetitive to send out all these emails, but it's exciting when I get the packages in my mailbox. I've received pennants from schools all over the country, and some I hang in my room, and others are hung in the halls to "decorate" my school and promote a college-going culture among our students.
My Passion Project: creating a high school transition program for my district. I'm working with my school's instructional technology integrator (and good friend) to work on a creating a high school transition program for middle school students who will come to our school. We're really excited to lead something positive for our school and district! It's been a lot of work so far, but I'm sure it will be worth it in the end. At the very least, it's opened my eyes to some of the challenges that administrators face, which has influenced my views on what I should get a Masters degree in-- Curriculum and Instruction, Administration, History...
I'm a Center for the Study of the American Constitution Fellow! This fall I get to spend time studying the text and origins of the U.S. Constitution and share what I learn with my colleagues and students. The Constitution is such an important and fascinating document, though it is ambiguous, that I really enjoy learning about it from experts. As a proud social studies nerd, this is an amazing honor and I'm counting down the days until I'm back in Madison studying the Constitution with other teachers from around the state.
However, with each rose must always come thorns.
Hall Duty. I thought I would really like having hall duty during one of my free periods this year, but it's proven to be quite challenging. Since I am a teacher in the hall, asking students if they have a pass, I tend to get roped into situations I don't really enjoy-- like confrontational students. It's emotionally draining, but I do feel like it's teaching me a lot about how to communicate more effectively with more challenging students. In this position I've truly learned that respect is earned, and being a teacher does not mean that I've "earned" anything. It's reminded me to live by the saying "you catch more bees with honey," and treat everyone how I would want to be treated. So, even though it isn't my dream job, I am growing as a teacher and person in a way that I wouldn't have without having this duty.
Sometimes I feel like a hamster on a wheel-- running for my life, yet going nowhere. Some days I'm enveloped with frustration (with myself, my students, administration, parents, society...), and others I'm on cloud nine, after a lesson goes well, or I accomplish a lot on my to-do list. If I've learned anything as a teacher, it's that it's extremely easy to get bogged down with the negative. But I can't live in a negative world; it's not healthy physically, mentally, or emotionally. The metaphorical roses in my life must outnumber the metaphorical thorns. I'm thankful for awesome and uplifting coworkers, and for my family's love and support. Finally, I'm thankful for the students who I've taught and on whom I've had a positive impact. I can't make the thorns go away altogether, but I can shift my focus back on the beautiful roses.
