I have been a pubic school teacher in North Carolina for 6 years. Six long and tiring years. To say that I've loved every minute of it would be a lie, but I couldn't image myself doing anything different.
Year 6 has been my hardest year yet. Why after 6 years would something be the hardest? Shouldn't it get easier? I blame CHANGE for all of my struggles this year. This year, my family returned to Concord, NC after an extended vacation (8 months) in Wilmington, NC. We had a new baby. WE moved in with our friends and then moved in to our own house. We both started new jobs. We started a small business. Lilly started dance and Clay decided he wasn't going to sleep at night.
To make matters even more interesting, my class was the most challenging class I have ever had. The kids started the year at different levels and some didn't even know how to read. I was expected to make 80% growth by the end of the year. How in the world was I supposed to do that!? I set out to do the impossible.
I researched, Pinterested, read blogs, bought things on TPT (teachers pay teachers- a site with awesome resources for teachers made by teachers), and created new things. I tried to incorporate new technology and collaborated with others at school to make things interesting.
The hard work paid off! At the end of year 6, 91% of my students grew. They may not have showed proficiency on the reading EOG, but 91% of them grew in some fashion. In my book, that's a win!
I embraced CHANGE this year. Change was good for my soul. Now it's time to embrace summer. Bring on the pool days, slumber parties, and all things kids... my kids!
Year 6 has been my hardest year yet. Why after 6 years would something be the hardest? Shouldn't it get easier? I blame CHANGE for all of my struggles this year. This year, my family returned to Concord, NC after an extended vacation (8 months) in Wilmington, NC. We had a new baby. WE moved in with our friends and then moved in to our own house. We both started new jobs. We started a small business. Lilly started dance and Clay decided he wasn't going to sleep at night.
To make matters even more interesting, my class was the most challenging class I have ever had. The kids started the year at different levels and some didn't even know how to read. I was expected to make 80% growth by the end of the year. How in the world was I supposed to do that!? I set out to do the impossible.
I researched, Pinterested, read blogs, bought things on TPT (teachers pay teachers- a site with awesome resources for teachers made by teachers), and created new things. I tried to incorporate new technology and collaborated with others at school to make things interesting.
The hard work paid off! At the end of year 6, 91% of my students grew. They may not have showed proficiency on the reading EOG, but 91% of them grew in some fashion. In my book, that's a win!
I embraced CHANGE this year. Change was good for my soul. Now it's time to embrace summer. Bring on the pool days, slumber parties, and all things kids... my kids!
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