To Begin Teaching Again 3-6-04

Original email June 3, 2004

It's Thursday night here, and my husband and i are soon going to the library. for right now i relax and listen to Enya sing out of the speakers on our computer. and I thought i'd tell some stories to those of you who might be interested in the details.

The last 2 weeks have been like the tale of two cities -- you know, the best of times and the worst of times. happier than i'd ever been in this growing & exciting marriage; but getting lonlier all the time in many ways too. i've been really missing teaching. working so hard applying for jobs and trying to make connections with different schools...and then just waiting. felt like so much waiting.

Finally, yesterday i was offered a job to start immediately. the school i was at before, Greenslopes. i don't know if i told you before, but there's a teacher there who needs to go on leave. Megan is one of the upper grades teachers. She's one of a team of three who works with the 5th-7th graders. she thought she'd go in july, at the term break. but her dad's in a bad way, and she's got to go this weekend. i'll have a contract starting this monday that will last through the next term (2 to 3 months).

so today i went in to hang out with Megan and her class. it was a really good day. heaps of the kids remembered me from working with them last year, and they seemed excited that i was coming to teach. she's an excellent teacher. it seems like she's already got a good management system in place, and her philosophies and styles of teaching seem very like mine. We see eye to eye on so much, that it looks to be a fairly natural transition.

Of course, it does mean learning how to deal with 11 and 12 year olds... you know, i've been working with little kids for so long now, that's going to be a pretty steep learning curve for me! but i like the kids and know some of them a bit already, and that's a good place to start i think. i've also got a good book on developmental stages for teachers -- it's recommended by Responsive Classrooms, called Yardsticks. at least that'll help me get thinking in the right direction for where these kids are at and what their needs and abilities might be.
I really like this school too, and the team of 3 teachers that work with all the upper grade kids. they teach thematically through big, interesting units and get into lots of higher-level thinking, lots of writing, lots of arts, everything incorporates together. and the whole school is big into the multiple intelligences. and working with small groups-- differentiating instruction. it's a little chaotic and a lot of discovery and a lot of learning going on...and you can probably tell, i'm all excited!

The unit we're working on to finish up the term for the next 3 weeks-- Aboriginal studies :) dreamtime stories and biographies of interesting & important Aboriginal men and women. i'm going to be learning right along with the kids. i may even bring in a story or 2 from Native American groups, and do some compare/ contrast. if there's time. i find it all fascinating, and i'm looking forward to getting deeper into things that you can't go as far with with 1st & 2nd graders :)

I also like the school because it has quite a high percentage of ESL students and kids who've exited ESL. very diverse school. and lots of really good teachers. not a whole lot of teachers my age; most are much older. but they're good; i learned a lot from them the last time i was here, and i'm sure i will learn all the more now.

Danny...he's so excited and happy for me. he's so interested seeing me happy. he just beams as i tell him all kinds of stories about the school and the kids and the teachers... :) ahhh. he's not a teacher, and doesn't know all the jargon, but he loves to listen. he asks questions about the kids and about what i do and he encourages me whenever i feel a little unsure or stressed. we're thrilled with the idea that i can have both important things i love so much in my life at same time-- us being together and teaching! now we just need to get him flying again. when we've paid off our debts and we're getting 2 regular incomes, he can start taking lessons regularly and flying again. i think i'm just about as eager for him to start that as he is. it's so wonderful to see the one you love happily doing something they love.

Other than that, we're still just so enjoying settling into our home and our neighborhood. there's a fluffy black cat who follows us around and rolls on its back looking silly and wanting a pat. almost makes me wish i wasn't allergic...
There's an ice cream truck that drives around every evening playing "Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam, where the deer and the antelope play..." What country am I in again? it's very funny :)

and i think that's all the stories i've got for tonight. We should go to the library soon, so we can make it back home in time for our dinner & ER date.