You might have heard me mention before that the other Chef that I teach with has been out for quite a while, which consequently made my work load a little bit more intense. Struggling to implement what we have learned this Summer and Fall at NTI in my classes, while trying to keep an eye on his classes, became stressful at times. Not to mention once grading periods came around, I felt like I was doing double the work of any other teacher at my school. With this being said, my time is precious. Lately my school has had extremely long, drawn out, and truth be told, unnecessary PL's and faculty meetings every Wednesday of every week. I really didn't even want to attend last weeks meeting, because they last 1 1/2 hours and only pertain to core classes, but something told me to go. At the end of the meeting they announced all the "Golden Apple Nominees," and I was caught off guard when I was the nominee for Career Tech. I guess it is nice to know that hard work doesn't go unnoticed, even when you think it does.
My second year of teaching has still been a roller-coaster ride, but far less so than last year...
ReplyDeleteMy biggest struggle this year has been two academically AND behaviorally challenging 7th grade classes! After delaying a test by two days this week, I expected them to be wildly successful. I was sorely disappointed! There was, however, a bright spot in this sea of apathy. When I asked one young lady what she might attribute her score of a '100' to, she immediately responded, "I think the students who didn't do well are the ones who don't take notes and are talking all the time."
BAM! Thank you, Stephanie! Can I have a few dozen more, just like you?!
~Suzanne Ward
I do remember you mentioning having to juggle both your classes, as well as those of your coworker's who has been MIA for a while. I also remember not being able to offer any sound advice on how to manage both class loads except for encouraging you to implement classroom managers quickly. I to, know the struggles of having to attend what we feel like, are meaningless meeting after meeting. I am so very happy that you went with your gut feeling and showed up, only to be recognized for your greatness! Although it is very obvious we educators do not enter into the field of education to gain recognition, which makes the moments when at least one person notices our tireless efforts all worth while! Congrats! Keep doing great things as I know you are!
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