How's It Going?

Someone asked me last night (at Tech Night) how I was enjoying my new position and here is the answer. I'm enjoying my position as a Title 1 Teacher and working with small groups of children teaching what I love best...reading. The perk of my position is that while I'm working with a small group, I do not have to worry about what the rest of the class is doing.  All you kindergarten teachers know what I mean! Although when I go into kindergarten and first grade classrooms, I sometime have feelings of...aw I miss that!  Everyone has made me feel welcomed to my new school and into their classrooms. I feel like the children that come to my room are indeed "shared" with me by their classroom teachers and I'm enjoying collaborating with the teachers and sharing antidotes. The leadership at my school is wonderful and they have made sure that I am included in school activities and committees and they value my many years and experience as an educator. I am also enjoying meeting new people and teaching writing before school to 3rd and 4th graders in our Morning Programs.

And how many people can go to work everyday knowing that their day is going to be filled with joy?  I know everyday that some child, book, story, or situation is going to make me laugh out loud.  This past week we had visitors in our classroom.  One of them was a PhD from our Central Office.  When I introduced her as Dr. ___to my small group, one of the children immediately pulled up his pants leg and said, "Fix me." When she explained that she wasn't that kind of dr. he replied, "Then what are you good for?" Of course he was very dramatic and I can't possible put into writing how funny the situation was.

And here is my sermon for this post...
This week I was reminded by an article  shared by our Director of Curriculum Instruction that good teachers are always learning and growing. They never say, "I already do that." Whenever you are involved in professional development whether it is a speaker, professional learning team, book study, or conference, think about how you can incorporate what you are learning into what you are doing.  If it sounds familiar, think about whether or not you have done that in a while.  Maybe it is time to take it out of your teacher tool box and use it again. Instead of saying, "I already do that," let it validate you as an educator.  Appreciate the speaker, conference leader, or your colleagues and appreciate yourself.