Everyone has a first year of teaching, and everyone has a different story to tell. I know that some people think I'm not only crazy for going overseas for my first year, but for going overseas and helping to pioneer a new school in a third-world country. Maybe it is a little crazy, but I can't imagine anything else for my upcoming first year of teaching.
I can't wait to fill this blog up with stories about my school life, how my students are learning in and out of school, and how I'm learning in and out of school.. For now though, you (and I) will have to settle for posts about how crazy excited I am and for what I'm doing to prepare.
I want to help out other rookie teachers in the next year through this blog. I hope that I can help you relate and see that you're not in this alone as we navigate our first year together. I know we'll face some of the same problems and some that are completely unique to our situations, so I hope you'll share your thoughts with me as you read my thoughts. I will ask questions. I will be honest. I will celebrate. I hope you will, too. I will definitely need help (from my PLC and from the online community) as this year progresses. In return, I'll do my best to offer help as well.
My first step is sharing my go-to website lately. I've been purchasing her products on Teachers Pay Teachers, and reading her blog quite regularly. It's such an incredible site called The Clutter-Free Classroom. You may have heard of it or come across it but never really used it; well, I recommend you use it! Download her product catalogue and look through the products she has available. They are all very reasonably priced, and some are even freebies! Once something catches your eye, go to her blog first and search for it. She'll likely have a dandy little post (and maybe a video) which explains the product. Once you think, "This might work for me," go to her Teachers Pay Teachers store and check out the product using the free preview. Then download it! It'll be worth it. I've already downloaded a few of her products.
My favourite product thus far is her Classroom Procedures and Routines Manual and Workbook. Here is a link to her post and video which explain what the product is and how you can use it.
Trust me, Rookies and non-Rookies as well I think, you'll love The Clutter-Free Classroom!
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Non-coincidental Moments
I'm in a waiting phase of life. I was in China for four months, then I moved home to work at Wee College in Moncton. Suddenly an opportunity to teach in Jakarta, Indonesia presented itself. The thing I've been loving about the time leading up to starting my teaching job in Indonesia is that this is a waiting phase.
More often than not, I've wanted to hurry time to the "next big thing" in my life because I've been so excited about it. This time, I find that I want to add extra days to my time remaining in the Maritimes, but I also want to skip days to fast forward to the next adventure.
I decided a month or two ago that I was not just going to sit back and wait excitedly until I start my new job in a new country. I'm not saying that I'm not also excitedly waiting, because I am. But, I've also taken this waiting time to strengthen relationships, learn to love a group of 14 incredible little three year-olds, appreciate the beauty of the Maritimes, and prepare spiritually, mentally, practically, for a huge life shift.
The phase of life you're going through is not a coincidence. There is meaning to it, regardless of the difficulty or ease that comes with it. What are you going to do in this time of waiting?
I'm reading a book called A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman. In this book, she talks about what it means to live life as an "artist", to find your true calling, to do this all as a way to give honour to God! It's been eye-opening, as her writing often is. The chapter I read last night was titled "Wait". She ends the chapter with these words:
Show up in the place where you already are fully alive as the image bearer God made you to be. Embrace the mysterious, invisible work of Christ even when it seems like nothing is happening. You are an image bearer and you have a job to do - whether you see the results or whether you don't.
More often than not, I've wanted to hurry time to the "next big thing" in my life because I've been so excited about it. This time, I find that I want to add extra days to my time remaining in the Maritimes, but I also want to skip days to fast forward to the next adventure.
I decided a month or two ago that I was not just going to sit back and wait excitedly until I start my new job in a new country. I'm not saying that I'm not also excitedly waiting, because I am. But, I've also taken this waiting time to strengthen relationships, learn to love a group of 14 incredible little three year-olds, appreciate the beauty of the Maritimes, and prepare spiritually, mentally, practically, for a huge life shift.
The phase of life you're going through is not a coincidence. There is meaning to it, regardless of the difficulty or ease that comes with it. What are you going to do in this time of waiting?
I'm reading a book called A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman. In this book, she talks about what it means to live life as an "artist", to find your true calling, to do this all as a way to give honour to God! It's been eye-opening, as her writing often is. The chapter I read last night was titled "Wait". She ends the chapter with these words:
Show up in the place where you already are fully alive as the image bearer God made you to be. Embrace the mysterious, invisible work of Christ even when it seems like nothing is happening. You are an image bearer and you have a job to do - whether you see the results or whether you don't.
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