My Valentines...

Ninth Classroom...

I bounced from school-to-school for a while before landing…

I was placed in a pull-out position where I would work with English Language Learners…

They were new to the country and new to the school…

A lot of the students were true beginners unable to associate phoneme to letter…

It was a lot of work, considering I only see them twice a week for half an hour at most…

Hybrid classes…come to school two days…go virtual three…

Except they don’t show up and do no work…

Fortunately, I’m not a ‘real’ teacher yet…

They only get some additional language support from me…completely homework free.

Of if they needed to talk…I was always willing to listen.

The Pandemic is hard on all of us…

Forget your standards and your deadlines…

Let children be children…

Ow, my Brain...

Oh no, not another

Praxis test to suffer through

Sorry about this.

Third Classroom...

My third classroom…

I taught Shakespeare.

I was fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen-years-old.

My classroom was chaotic and stunk of school lunches.

Once again, the ‘weird’ kid was the center of attention.

Seriously though, how hard is it to read the footnotes?

They hold the keys to the wonders of the world!

Distracted...

I have a tight schedule that has grown even tighter…

There is no wiggle room…

So I find it where I can…

Last night I found too much, got too into it, and forgot to post…

Oops.

Oh Dear...

“Give me your phone number!”

It does not seem to matter to her that she is six and I am…not.

Yes, I started my teaching journey rather late…

Secretarial work just wasn’t cutting it anymore…

Again, it didn’t matter to her that I am several years older…

I am the ‘fun’ teacher…the ‘nice’ teacher…the ‘pretty’ teacher.

What I lack in classroom management (since this is my first year), I make up for in enthusiasm, kindness, creativity, subject knowledge, and yes…fun.

This was not fun…

I had to leave a note with her ‘every day teacher’ that little girl insisted that I give her my cell phone number.

I did not, for the record…

I am weird and admittedly a little immature, not predatory!

Infatuation...

You’re really pretty

Pretty without glasses on

You are pretty too!

Depression...

It’s hard to keep your head above the water when you’re drowning in your own tears...  Take that, former me who wrote horrible Goth poetry! 

Happy Christmas!

It is Christmas time

One day I will be people-less

Cats will be my love…

Second Classroom...

My second classroom…

I taught Japanese studies.

I was twelve-years-old.

I had a whole classroom full of peers that hated me.

I was the ‘weird’ kid who was friends with all the teachers.

Many of my peers left my speech on Japan wanting to visit the country.

It was nerve wracking but wonderful.

Depressed Again...

Depression hits hard

What if it never leaves me

Will I be trapped here?