First of all I know and fully understand that I teach on the west side of West Valley and if you know Utah or Salt Lake area, it can be a rough place. But like I said, I knew that before getting the job that I have now. I found that working with those types of students and people was even more rewarding than I had originally thought. So that is where I decided to stay and find a job, and it worked out and I know that I had that confirming feeling that I was where I was supposed to be. I guess I just have to keep reminding myself that the Lord never gives us anything that we cannot handle.
I will say it loud and clear that I was downright spoiled when it came to student teaching at West Kearns. That school knows what it is doing! That is not saying they know how to handle ever situation with every crazy, because seriously no one could keep up with all that. But they know how to best support teachers and staff and the best resources to help the students. ISN'T THAT WHY WE ARE THERE, TO BEST HELP THE STUDENTS.?! That is what I thought, well not every school has it so put together as West Kearns.
I just want you to know that these are my opinions of where I have worked and what I have experienced. Finally I will get to the point of why my week was pretty much crap! At my new school I have a hard time feeling supported. Don't get me wrong I have a lot of people coming in and out of my room and giving me advice and pulling me this way and that, but is it helping? I have a mentor that is great and has helped me a lot and has been coming in my room to support me, the thing is my kiddos are terrified of her. So when she is in my room they seem like little angels (although that means I still have 1 kid in the corner crying, 1 running laps around the desks, and 1 laying on his stomach over a chair.) The moment she leaves, she gives me advice and says good luck. Me, I am more visual, you need to show me what you mean and how you think it is done with my kiddos in my classroom. People have been giving me great advice but my kiddos are different than your kiddos and it does not work.
Like the title of my post says I am an advocate for my students. That is why I became a teacher to stand up for and speak for those who don't know what is going on in the world yet or what is important. I teach them vital skills they will use for the rest of their lives, I teach them how to be positive and how to love and be kind to one another. I am more than just a teaching of reading and math. That is why I stood up for what I believe in today and sat down with some people and stated my opinions and talked about how maybe it could be different. Not to benefit me, but to best benefit my children.
Just so you understand, I have my high (green), middle (yellow), and low (red) readers.We have aides that are payed for by Title One money and provided to the school. Now these aides come and take one student at a time, walk them across the school to a relocatable and have a 20 minute group with just that student about things we are not talking about that day. Oh did I mention they are pulling them during my whole group direct instruction. Did I also mention that they are pulling my yellow kids and not my red kids?
We have specific jobs, the reading coach and reading specialist that work in our school and don't you think that with 1st grade being the main year they learn how to read that you would want the most support there? Oh no not at our school. Neither of those reading coach/specialist works with my class at all and not any of the others either? Really? Well one of those could be my fault for not speaking up as a first year teacher, but really who was I going to argue with at that time?
Oh I did forget to mention that on a team of 5 first grade teachers, 3 of us are brand new teacher, and 1 is a long term sub due to maternity leave. Also the fact that my principal left like 2 weeks before school started and we got a brand new principal and a brand new assistant principal. I don't want everyone to think that this school is complete crap but with all the newbie's everyone is a little scared of stepping on toes and pushing too far the first year.
I totally get not wanting to push to far the first year, but I also find it crap on my part. I choose to work at this school and I was so excited and everything was wonderful, until everything started changing. I know that I am still young, healthy, and have lots of energy, and for the most part I can handle the long exhausting days without getting burnt out. And while I may complain a lot about how hard it is for me, what I am really trying to get at is that I want what is best for my students and that they get the best help the school can provide and unfortunately that probably won't happen this year, and my class has this one shot at first grade and they are missing out on wonderful opportunities because they had no control over the transition period at the school. Sorry kiddos I promise to try my hardest but with these really tough kids, that is going to be more difficult than I ever imagined.
But..
I promise to love you.
I promise to work my hardest.
I promise to keep you safe.
I promise that I will occasionally do my happy dance for you.
I promise that if you try hard and stick to your dreams and goals, you can end up way better than your parents.
If you have never seen this, watch it and it will give you an idea of what it is like to teach first grade.
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