Chit Chat: Furthering My Education

As the last school year was ending in May, the administrators at my district asked me and another teacher Jennifer to apply to be part of the S.O.A.R. Initiative. They explained that our district would be allowed to have two candidates in the program. This program would pay for us and other teachers throughout Eastern Kentucky to achieve our next degree in Leadership and for our National Boards Certification. This program would be split up into four cohorts and our cohort would have classes an hour away two weeks each summer and 6 times each semester for the next 3 years. We would have to commit to attending all classes and completing all assignments and this initiative would pay for everything for us.

We would have classes paid for, admission into the National Boards Program, and all text books would be paid for. The Leadership program we would go through would prepare us to be teacher leaders at our school and would prepare us for each component of the Nation Boards process. At the end of three years we would complete the program and achieve another Master's degree and our National Boards Certification at no cost! This would then result in pay raises for our new degrees and a $2000 bonus each year for being board certified.

Needless to say, she and I jumped at the opportunity. It is an exciting opportunity for us both and it's amazing that we are in this together. Jennifer is one of my closest friends at work and I know I can rely on her and trust her for assistance and she can depend on me.

This came at a great time for me. I had completed a Master's in Literacy last summer and had taken a year off from college, but I knew in the Fall I would need to start on my next degree so that I can become a better teacher and reach a new pay raise at work. I had been thinking about how expensive classes are and how much money I had been out for my last degree. I saved and paid as I took classes because I did not want any debt. So no student loans for me.

Last week, we had our first week of a two week class this Summer. It went really well. The ladies over our cohort are so nice and helpful. They have all been through the National Boards Certification process and were successful, so it is great to know I have them for assistance. I am excited about this but so nervous at the same time. This is a rigorous process and will require a lot of work on my part. But in the end if I am successful I can open up a lot of new doors for my future.

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Chit Chat

One question I get asked all the time is "What made me decide to be a teacher?" I have always wanted to be a teacher. In the second grade I wrote my "What I Want to be When I Grow Up" paper on wanting to be a teacher and math has always been my favorite subject. I enjoy getting to help others understand things they are having difficulty with and I love watching people learn new things. It's just a perk that I am the one getting to teach them these new things. I also delight in watching my students problem solve their way through a difficult problem and seeing their triumph and satisfaction over mastering the skills and concepts.
One thing that gets to me though is that some people think teaching is an easy job- that anyone can do it and that the only reason anyone becomes a teacher is because they were not skilled enough to do anything else. I'm sure you've heard the saying that includes, "those who can't, teach." People who believe this do not understand what all a teacher has to do. On school days I am at work by 7:30 in the mornings and the final bell does not ring until 3:00.
During this time I work with anywhere from 16 to 25 kids at a time for a period of 50 minutes each. I am on my feet teaching, assisting, supporting my students as their mathematical knowledge grows. I work hard and I make my students work hard. I make them work from bell to bell. I make them think and problem solve. I make them explain how they arrived at their solutions and why they did what they did. I don't believe in giving my students free days or free time. I believe in giving them an education and the knowledge that will help them succeed in the future.
This does not include the time I spend planning and creating my activities. The time I spend grading papers with feedback and inputting grades into the system. This does not include the time I spend after school tutoring students and coaching activities. This does not include the time that I spend going to school activities to show my students support or the competitions that I take my teams too.
When I think back on my favorite teachers. They made me learn and they made me want to learn. They made me work hard and then they pushed me to work harder. I bet if you think about your favorite teachers, you will realize they were the same way. Right?

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