Teaching Journey

I originally was going to name this post Teaching After Becoming a Mom but as I began writing, I realized that this is more about my journey as a teacher.

I graduated college May 2014 and received my first position August 2014. I literally got the job 2 days before the start of the school year! I was hired to be a fourth grade teacher. I was so excited but I would be lying if I didn’t say that I was freaking out!! I had 2 days to buy things to make my room look somewhat inviting, clean up the mess that was left in it, look through the curriculum, AND plan for the first week.

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My first two years, I was a HOT MESS!! I would roll out of bed, throw my hair in a bun, and get to work right when I needed to pick up the kids. I was never very good at being organized and making sure I had everything planned. I would plan day by day, which now when I look back was so much more stressful! It also didn’t help that I realized that I didn’t do well with older kids. My classroom management was almost nonexistent. It was a rough two years and add in planning a wedding and buying a condo!

My first year was more challenging than it should have been, there was another new teacher to the district on my team that needed a lot of help and my struggles were looked past. I loved my other teammates and they mentored me the best they could but it was a rough year. I had a hard class but I pushed through. I can’t even count how many times I started to rethink my career path. I cried a lot that year because my dream of being this amazing teacher was crumbling. (I know, I know, it takes time to even be a good teacher. I just thought since this was my “calling” it would come easily.)

My second year I had a WHOLE new team. The good thing was my friend was now on my team so she helped me a lot. I had an epiphany this year, I just wasn’t cut out for the older kids. My classroom management was still horrible and I just didn’t know how to handle the behaviors. Looking back, I now know I needed to be more consistent and confident.

My third year, I was moved to first grade. (Yay little kids but uhh another new team to get to know) I had found out that summer I was pregnant and knew I had to figure out plans for maternity leave. Planning for a long term sub was not going to be easy for a person that planned day by day BUT wouldn’t you know it, my team leader was very type A and had the WHOLE year (dates, lessons, and all) planned out, and printed on bright colored paper! This was heaven sent on all the days that I called off last minute due to my pregnancy! My team that year helped me see what it is like to plan ahead. Now I still made my copies for the week that Monday but it was better than the day it was needed.

I started my maternity leave at the end of February 2017 and was told that the following year I was moving to Kindergarten because they didn’t need 4 first grade classes. I ended up taking the next year off to be with my son but was still a first grade teacher. (They had a long term sub in my room the whole year.) March 2018, I received a call from my new principal that I would be moving to kindergarten. Now, I was really upset because I felt I had found my spot! I did so much better in first grade and I loved my team. Moving grades meant that in my 4 years of teaching (not counting my year off) I would have taught 3 grades, had 3 different rooms, and 4 different teams!! I was stressing hard.

I bought myself a big teacher planner that had EVERYTHING a teacher needs in ONE place and started making some things for my class. I took some webinars over the summer to try and get some good tips for teaching kindergarten. I tried so hard to get myself excited for the year. I was nervous about going back because there were so many changes. We had a new Superintendent, new principal, and I was teaching a new grade with a new team. (My new team is great and I feel silly for freaking out about it!)

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My goal for this year was to stay on top of things and be organized. I bought a rainbow cart to have all my weekly copies in and lots of file folders. I went through all of my class library books and organized them! (I use to just put them on a bookshelf and call it a day). I really wanted to have a handle on my year.

My mom watches my son while I work but she also watches my little cousins. She has to be by their house at 6:45 AM which means I have to meet her at 6:00 to drop off my son. Instead of going back home, I go right to work and get there by 6:30. This has to be the best change I’ve made. I have realized that I am WAY more productive in the morning. I write out my lessons at least a week and a half ahead of time. I fill my rainbow draws with all my copies for the week and have next weeks papers in a drawer. I make all my copies for the following week on Wednesday’s. I will stay after once in a while just to straighten up my room but for the most part, I leave right after work.

This year, I feel so much more confident in my teaching. I’m not sure if it is because becoming a mom has flipped a switch in me, I am actually planning and being organized, trial and error, or all of the above but I am looking forward to next year and what it is to bring. My journey as a teacher has been hard and eye opening. I am so grateful to all my teammates that have helped me through the years to make me a half way decent teacher! I honestly feel like I still have a long way to becoming a good teacher but that gives me the drive to keep working on my strategies in the classroom.