From the Beginning

Educating the future. That is my job…both as a parent and a teacher. I am a mother of four and a sixth grade reading and science teacher. I love both of my jobs, most of the time. Obviously, being a parent means lots of ups and downs. I trek through day by day making things work as best as I can. But, I would not trade that job for anything. At work, I do the same. I do what I think is best for kids each and every day. Making quick decisions on my feet as I see fit based on what my kids need…knowing what works and what doesn’t work.

This blog is an inside perspective on being a parent and a teacher. I will not share data and stats, but I will share my heart-felt day by day findings and understandings on what it means to be a teacher these days. I will not preach about politics, but I will write about my daily experiences with education…both as a parent and as a teacher.

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How did I get here? Ironically enough, I went to school to be a politician. It is funny that I even considered this, seeing I do not have much faith in politicians or what they are trying to do. I realized quickly that I was not cut out to sit at a desk all day long….really getting no where. Would I really be able to make a difference in our society doing things this way?

My junior year of college I had the opportunity to help others by going abroad and teaching English in Poland. I ventured out without knowing anyone, and ended up being on a trip of a lifetime! I learned so much about myself on this adventure. I learned that I wanted to teach others. That I cared about the future and what they have to offer to this world. I chose to go to Poland the following year to teach again. This experience is what made me realize that teaching was for me. I wanted to make a difference in a young person’s life. I enrolled in graduate school at UB and started my whirl wind education to get my teaching certificate.

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How many people can actually say that they love their job? When I first started teaching, I was one of those people who could honestly say that I loved my job. I worked long hours organizing lessons, keeping tabs on my students abilities, and getting to know my students’ personalities. I loved teaching. I read great books with my students, and we had meaningful conversations. We did science experiments and learned through exploration. We had computer centers that enabled the students to go beyond the text-book to further their understanding of specific concepts. The kids loved science and so did I! I felt like I could make a difference.

This was what teaching was like years ago, before my own children were in school. Things have changed in the past few years. More restrictions, more testing, more curriculum to teach. Being a teacher these days is not what it used to be….maybe this isn’t what I am meant to do. But, how can I give up when I know the importance of what I do each day?