Hello Education World!

So, this is my attempt to log my experiences as a first year teacher. I am also working on my Master’s degree in an accelerated program, which will be challenging and rewarding.

First, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am thirty-years old with a husband and three sons (so really I have 4 kids, j/k). Education wasn’t my first career choice. When I was 19, I joined the wonderful world of customer service. I eventually worked my way up in the company to corporate trainer. When I turned 25, I was laid off from my position within the company. I decided it was time for a career change. What to do???

Well, I always loved the cute little things that teachers always had (paper clips, staplers, stickers, etc.) and thought that would be fun. haha! Anyways, I had some bitter and sweet moments in school, unfortunately, more bitter than sweet (I will go into that in another post). I decided that becoming a teacher would really make me happy and not just because of the cute gadgets teachers got to use. I had two kids by this time, and I felt that education would be a wonderful way for me to help children and be a better member of society, which was a desire that my kids brought out in me.

SO… four and a half years later… I now have my BS in Secondary Education and am enrolled in the CADRE program with the University of Nebraska at Omaha. This is where my story in the education world begins…

First week of school and my unexpected surprise…

Hello all! I’m excited to be back on here to update you on my adventures as a second year teacher. School in my district started this week, which to be honest seems way earlier than when I was in school. Summers don’t have quite the same connotation to teachers and students as they once did. With that said, I did have a great summer regardless. I finished up my master’s program (CADRE) in June. I went on a 2,800 mile road trip with my hubby and 3 sons… it was awesome! All-in-all, my summer was pretty full and rewarding.

Anyway, back to the topic of school. I met all of my new 8th graders and was able to easily determine on the first day those who will be quite the handful, lol. It’s always those attention seeking kiddos who are the most trying. By Friday, I had already assigned them one homework assignment, given them a survey, and had small group activities to work out our “Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible” classroom rules. They think I am a little tough, which means I’m doing my job

So, about that unexpected surprise… yesterday I didn’t quite feel right. I was kinda sad and felt like something was missing. I couldn’t quite figure it out. I noticed that I’d look at a student and would mention that so-and-so looks like so-and-so from last year, or talks like that person, or acts like that person, or has the same name. By the end of the day I was worn out and depressed, but I didn’t know why… then it hit me. I was mourning the loss of my students from last year. They were gone and I wasn’t going to see them again unless they visited me. This revelation caused me to start crying like I lost a loved one. It was horrible and not something that I’ve ever heard another teacher talk about. In fact, I’m crying right now writing about it. What’s even worse is that I was practically shoving them out of the door on the last day last year… now I want them back. I think that what this shows me is that I truly care for my students and that we built some really strong relationships with each other. I hope that this will be the case for me this year as well, and maybe instead of pushing them out the door on the last day, I will savor those last minutes with a new sense of knowing that I may never see them again but that we made a difference in each other’s lives.

Well, I need to get back to working on my class syllabus and preparing for open house. I will post again soon.

– Stephanie

iPad in Education… annotated bibliography

What’d I’d like to do with this post is to create an annotated bibliography of iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch apps that can be used in education. I want to start a directory of iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch apps that can be used for different content areas and different grade levels.

It seems that the greater majority of the apps available are geared toward elementary age students, which is great, but I’d like to compile a list of apps and potential uses that can be used for primary and secondary students.

If my readers will add a comment with the following information, then I will compile it into an annotated bibliography that can be referenced by everyone. Please include the following in your comment: Name of app, cost, grade levels, content areas, and possible uses in the classroom. Also, try to include apps that can be used in classrooms that have 1, 2, or more devices… unfortunately, most schools don’t provide one computer for all students.

Thank you for your participation!

– Stephanie

Help me decide on a new tagline for my blog!!!

It’s not the end… It’s just the beginning.

I apologize… I thought I had posted about my last days of school awhile ago, but I can’t find that post… darn iPad app, lol.

My last day of school, with students, was on Wednesday June 1st. My time teaching 8th grade has been very interesting and educational, not just for the kids but also for me. But now, I need to take the summer to reflect on the past year and plan for the future.

I was surprised by how emotional the kids were… although, I think some of the girls thrive on drama and really played that part well. There were lots of hugs and tears, and some surprises… One in particular really caught me off guard. One of my students, who was new to the school this year, wrote me a letter telling me how much I made a difference in her life and how appreciative of me she was. It was really amazing actually. I have never received such a humbling and heartfelt gift!

Then, on June 3rd, I presented on NBPTS’ Proposition 3: Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning. My presentation focused on creating classroom rules based on Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible (this was discussed in an earlier post). The presentation was done in the presence of other teachers, administration, family, and friends. I feel like this was a great way to show off my final portfolio and to listen to what my fellow CADRE members learned over the course of the year.

I finished the CADRE program on June 30th. I have never been so relieved in my life. I loved having the opportunity and privilege to get my Master’s Degree through the UNO CADRE Program… it has been the best and hardest time of my educational career… so far. I hope to continue my education, but I think it’s time for a little break.

Have a great summer everyone! I will post again soon.

– Stephanie