Memoir Monday - Called to Teach

When I was young, I wanted to be a lawyer (they made the big bucks and I was good at arguing), a mom (what little girl doesn't), an astronaut (it is still a dream of mine to go to space camp some day) and a teacher (Thank you, Mrs. Soltow). As I went off to college, I would have to say that teaching won out. I began the program and took the dreaded Teaching 101 (I hated retaking that miserable class in my M.A. program). At our school the text was So, You Think You Can Teach. During that class, we had to do a clinical experience. I was so excited! My first time getting to be in a class. I met a teacher that didn't seem to want to have me there. I didn't really get to experience what a classroom was like. At the end of the experience, I got to interview this teacher. She basically told me that she did not like teaching. She had taught for the last twenty years and it was the only thing she could do. She completed the interview by advising me not to teach. I took her advice and decided to become a psychologist and promptly changed my major.

After graduating, my first principal recruited me to be one of her paraprofessionals. My response was negative. I was going to be a psychologist. She eventually hooked me by asking me which grad program I was in. When I couldn't answer her and had no idea where to even begin, she responded by saying that I could do this while I was deciding and applying for school. She made perfect sense. It wasn't an easy year. The job of a paraprofessional is hard and demanding. I have to say that it made me very aware of how hard they work. At the end of that year, she asked me to teach for her the following year. I jumped at the chance to have my own classroom. I taught prekindergarten on a variance for 8 years after that.

After teaching a few years, I went back to pursue my M.A. in Education to get my licensure. Teaching full-time and going to school was not easy. Last May I finished the program and graduated. This past year I subbed for three local districts and did two long-term sub positions. I am so glad that is over. This spring I signed a contract for a Library Media/Spanish position for the school that I taught prekindergarten for.

I can't imagine being not being a teacher. If you are in the job hunt right now, don't give up! Finding the place for you make take some time but it is well worth it!

First Day of Class Questionnaire

I am thinking about doing some type of a questionnaire for the first day of library. I thought this would be a good way to get to know my readers.

Questions I am going to include:
What is your favorite book? Who is your favorite author? What type of books to you like? What is the last book you read? About how many books did you read over the summer? What would you like to learn about? What do you enjoy? What are you interested in?

What do you do to get to know your learners?

This Fall

I am going to be doing something different this fall. I have taken a position as a Library Media Specialist. My schedule will rotate weekly between teaching research skills and Spanish. It will definitely be a change but I am looking forward to it!