Day 15 Bonus: Happy New Year
I celebrate the beginning of a new year in August, not January. A new school year is full of hopes and resolutions for me. Some of these return every year; my resolution to be more patient, present, and mindful in the classroom. I want to help students find what inspires and excites them, to greet each student, each day, with a fresh open heart. In preparation, I go to bed early, take deep breaths, slow down, and trust that everything will be ok. The doubts, however, are also always there. Regularly I wonder if I made a lesson interesting enough, if I nagged the students all day to tidy up, or if I overlooked a sad face in the classroom.
In more ways than I can count, I am extremely lucky to have landed at the school where I teach. Our small school is comprised of teachers and staff who genuinely care not only about the well-being of their students, but all of the students and their fellow co-workers. I'm finishing up my Montessori teacher training and get to assist one of the strongest, most compassionate, talented, and fun teachers out there. In many ways, I'm one of her students, always learning, looking for advice on how to master some concept, some material, and she is always supportive. I am so fortunate.
This all happened by chance. We moved here in 2015 so my husband could attend grad school. At the time, I was a full-time nanny for a wonderful family and a part-time adjunct English professor at a small satellite campus in PA. I was floating, not sure what to do in terms of a career. Before becoming a nanny I did adjunct work for five years. I loved teaching but it always required me to work 1, 2, or 3 extra jobs in order to pay my bills. I've been a community education teacher, a dog walker, a customer service representative, and an office assistant, all while teaching freshman comp. So, when we moved, I was ready to take any job I could get, whether it was serving drinks, stocking grocery shelves, or working in an office. While none of these jobs excited me, I was grateful to get any job I could find.
My hope was to teach but I didn't know where, what age, or what pedagogy would fit best for me. For years I had known about Montessori, saw the value in it, and believed in the philosophy but I had no training and figured I would never find an entry into the field. Thankfully, I did find a door into the Montessori world as an elementary assistant. After my first year at the school I moved up to Michigan for the summer and attended the training. Since then I have completed papers, observations, exams, and projects from North Carolina. Honestly, even though I will be done with training in 2019, I know that I will continue to learn longer after I complete my requirements. I will always be learning new ideas and concepts from my students and co-workers and for that, I am most grateful.
With all the loose ends that hang in front of teachers at the beginning of the year, hope remains strong. The hope that this year will again be full of students' smiles, academic and emotional growth, and the creation of good memories. These are my hopes as well. I wish you all a Happy New Year!
In more ways than I can count, I am extremely lucky to have landed at the school where I teach. Our small school is comprised of teachers and staff who genuinely care not only about the well-being of their students, but all of the students and their fellow co-workers. I'm finishing up my Montessori teacher training and get to assist one of the strongest, most compassionate, talented, and fun teachers out there. In many ways, I'm one of her students, always learning, looking for advice on how to master some concept, some material, and she is always supportive. I am so fortunate.
This all happened by chance. We moved here in 2015 so my husband could attend grad school. At the time, I was a full-time nanny for a wonderful family and a part-time adjunct English professor at a small satellite campus in PA. I was floating, not sure what to do in terms of a career. Before becoming a nanny I did adjunct work for five years. I loved teaching but it always required me to work 1, 2, or 3 extra jobs in order to pay my bills. I've been a community education teacher, a dog walker, a customer service representative, and an office assistant, all while teaching freshman comp. So, when we moved, I was ready to take any job I could get, whether it was serving drinks, stocking grocery shelves, or working in an office. While none of these jobs excited me, I was grateful to get any job I could find.
My hope was to teach but I didn't know where, what age, or what pedagogy would fit best for me. For years I had known about Montessori, saw the value in it, and believed in the philosophy but I had no training and figured I would never find an entry into the field. Thankfully, I did find a door into the Montessori world as an elementary assistant. After my first year at the school I moved up to Michigan for the summer and attended the training. Since then I have completed papers, observations, exams, and projects from North Carolina. Honestly, even though I will be done with training in 2019, I know that I will continue to learn longer after I complete my requirements. I will always be learning new ideas and concepts from my students and co-workers and for that, I am most grateful.
With all the loose ends that hang in front of teachers at the beginning of the year, hope remains strong. The hope that this year will again be full of students' smiles, academic and emotional growth, and the creation of good memories. These are my hopes as well. I wish you all a Happy New Year!
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