A Silent Year

Well, it's been a few days since my last post, so I thought I might post an update (if you are Mike or Dorage, most of this is taken from the email I sent you two, so you can skim it).

I just finished my first year of teaching, and what a blessed end it was. I loved this year, but I needed it to end. I felt so behind for most of the year it was like trying to hold up a mountain of water (that's right, a mountain of water): between planning for the next lesson, grading, and doing my certification stuff, it felt like something would always spill over and try to bury me. However, it was on the whole a "successful" year, meaning that I feel I did the best and accomplished the most that I should expect from myself. If five years from now I still have this many classroom management issues and a syllabus this loosely held together, then I'll have a problem, but I'll take it for year one.

Successes:
-I entered this year believing this was my calling, and I end it with that belief confirmed.
-I was correct in believing that I could "own" a classroom. With my seniors and my PreAP sophomores I was really able to make the classroom dynamic and enjoyable.
-Because of this, many seniors stated that I was their favorite teacher.
-I think they actually learned something too.
-Because of some assignments in my class and some personal assistance, several of my students got some scholarships for college.
-By the end of the year, I got where I could revel in my successes and, for the most part, shrug off the complaints or sheer rudeness of some of my trouble students (that is, undeserved complaints; those that struck home are a different story).

Failures:
-Grammar, what's that?
-My 5th and 7th periods, for a lot of the time. I let them get too out of hand.
-Shamefully, I came to dislike a lot of my students toward the end of the year. I didn't dislike them as people, and had great interactions with them outside of the classroom, but inside I just got worn down by some of them.

I believed the year so successful that I thought I was going to win the teacher of the year award. I only began to think this because several student council members told me they were going to vote for me, but I'm glad that I didn't win it. I think I was letting a little too much pride get to me. It's an easy pitfall as a teacher; when you've got a slew of students telling you you're an awesome teacher, it's easy to lose perspective. I think I will be a very good, possibly even a great teacher, but I'm not there yet.

In other news, Sara got a job! She just finished her MFA in creative writing in April and we were rather worried about her finding gainful employment since jobs are 1. in general scarce right now and 2. good teaching jobs are extremely scarce in South Arkansas right now. Some of the other jobs she was looking at were administrative, and only paid about $20,000 a year, which with our student loans isn't that great. But luckily she got an interview at Hope community college, and went and taught a mock lesson and went through 2 interviews and landed the job. There were about two weeks of silence after they told us they would know who they were going to hire, so we thought for sure she hadn't gotten it, but thankfully we were pleasantly surprised. I can't imagine what it will be like on two real incomes. Moreover, Sara will finally get to do what she and I both love: teaching.

So, what am I doing now that it's summer? Let's see, I (I have become fond of listing, you see):
-went on an amazingly relaxing trip to Florida and spent a went lounging on the beach and spending time with family.
-went to Austin, TX for a week to see my brother and to go to an AP Literature workshop (which was extremely helpful).
-went to KC to see my step-brother get married!
-spent the last two weeks and will spend this week as well in my training to finish getting my teaching license. It has been, to say the least, a frustrating experience. Some of it can be useful, but much of it has been worthless, or even worse, detrimental. I can't say I have much respect for the "research" of the field of education. In truth, there is some good that I can glean from most of what we are taught, but at times I let my attitude prevent that from happening. I'll be glad when I get to choose my professional development classes.
-read the following books in preparation for teaching AP Lit (again, a list!): 1. Crime and Punishment (with six pages of notes) 2. Oedipus Rex 3. Wuthering Heights 4. The Importance of Being Earnest 5. Trifles

There are only a few weeks of summer left. I will probably spend them working halfway diligently and then have to scramble to plan each night for the first month of school. But at the moment those concerns are far off, so I am content to tackle the most enjoyable aspects of planning only, reading great works of literature and sketching out the major components of my syllabus.

So, now that I have spoken again into the wind, will anyone hear? Could anyone still be keeping tabs on this long-dormant blog?

I hope so. God bless.