My dear readers! I'm terribly sorry for the recent hiatus in posting. Here's a quick recap of what's been up and why I've been too busy to blog...
* Lots of babysitting! Twice for my usual two boys, and once with EB for five awesome kiddos.
* My first time working an IMP Recital for the school, plus two major admissions events.
* Agatha Rex, the middle school play for which I was the stage manager, went up this past weekend. The weekend before that we had a 36-hour slumber party at the school with the cast and tech crew.
* My friend's birthday party followed our second performance of the play. 'Nuff said.
* The Village School had two holiday concerts, one on the same day as opening night of Agatha Rex. This was paired with a week and a half of nearly nonstop rehearsals. (The good thing about having no time in my classroom? Every time my kids see me, they greet me like I'm a rockstar.)
And now, what's on the horizon?
* Tonight I leave for Thanksgiving break in Taiwan! EB and YC and I are checking out Taipei and Hualien.
* Over the next week and a half of school after that, I'll be back to living in the theatre nonstop as we rehearse and put up our middle and upper school concerts.
* Two more major admissions events -- one on the upcoming residential life program, one open house.
* Once I'm relatively free to get back into classrooms, I'll be rotating to work with Mr. H for the next trimester. We're collaborating on a drama unit which I am SO excited for. And we've designed this unit to have all three teachers work with all three classes, so I won't even have to miss my kiddos that much!
* In less than three weeks, I'll fly back to New England for two weeks with my college buds, then it's off to Hawaii for Christmas with the family!
Clearly, I am one busy lady. But I promise, I have a few ideas for posts that I have been marinating on -- stay tuned and hopefully I can sneak in one or two before I fly back stateside for Christmas!
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Currently reading: The Book Thief and The Lightning Thief...no, I'm not a kleptomaniac
Current high: so many exciting travel plans/schemes on the horizon...considering Abu Dhabi in February, Australia in March, Japan in May, and Eurotrip this summer?!
Current low: sleepy...but at least I'll have my flight tonight to catch up on a few hours :)
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Becoming a Teacher
My co-teacher has been mentoring the wife of one of the upper school teachers, Mrs. H; she's currently working toward her teaching credential. This week is her lead teaching, and she's reached out to me several times since she knows I can relate to the student teaching experience! This morning she came in and sat down to ask a few questions, and she got a bit teary. She apologized profusely, but I assured her that there was no need for apologies! My own student teaching is still fresh in my mind, and it's truly an emotional roller coaster -- Mrs. H agreed.
Not long ago I read this article, and I related to it so deeply. It and my recent experiences with Mrs. H led me to reflect on my own teacher preparation. I had two absolutely amazing mentors in the classroom during my student teaching, and I wouldn't be the educator I am today without their wisdom and guidance. Alongside them, I'd worked with three incredible professors at my college who were endlessly supportive and patient from day one.
The teacher education program at my college demanded incessant reflection. At first, these reflections seemed annoying and a waste of time. As I moved through the program, I came to understand their importance and value them. I saved them all on my computer and recorded activities I liked, questions I grappled with, management strategies to keep in my back pocket, and classroom decorations I hoped to emulate. Now as a teacher, I am constantly metacognitive. I think back on each aspect of my lesson and think of what I could do differently and better to serve my students. A teacher is never done learning.
During my student teaching, I remember being completely overwhelmed on my first day. I watched in awe as Mrs. M led her students through their daily routine, chatted with her best friend as she wolfed down lunch (that day I learned teaching makes you SO HUNGRY), attended an RTI meeting, ran reading assessments, and prepared parent communication to send home. She had me sit with her during small group lessons and debriefed with me during recesses and preps on what she was doing with each student and where they were academically. Mrs. V did the same thing when I joined her three weeks later. They invited me to faculty meetings, grade-level meetings, recess duty, field trips, parent-teacher conferences, report card writing, and professional development. I was a part of everything they did.
But that wasn't all. Each of them gave me about three days to sit and watch and assist with individual and small group work, then had me start teaching lessons. Mrs. M gave me a full day of lead teaching in my third week. Mrs. V added pieces one at a time -- morning meeting every other day, one reading group per day, and math once a week; then every morning meeting, two guided reading groups, and half the math instruction. By the time my supported lead teaching came around, it was a relatively seamless transition. I got to plan lessons, manage transitions, reflect on my students' successes and where I'd fallen short.
I am a teacher -- a good teacher -- because of my college and my mentors. I am still in touch with all of them, and express my gratitude at every opportunity. Even though I have officially been able call myself a teacher since receiving my license in July, I will never be the perfect teacher. I will never be done learning. My students have so much to teach me every day, as do their parents, my colleagues, and my supervisors. As much as I am a perfectionist in some areas, I've learned to be patient with myself as a teacher. The perfect is the enemy of the good, and I am constantly improving. I hope one day soon, when I have grown into the kind of teacher I really want to be, I can return to that same school and mentor young aspiring teachers from my college. I only hope I can support them as well as my advisors did me.
**********
Currently reading: I am inundated in book recommendations from students!! Can't wait to check out the school book fair tomorrow :)
Current high: first day of my Theatre and Improv Games exploratory today was SO MUCH FUN
Current low: at work 6:45am - 7:45pm, just having dinner at 9pm
Not long ago I read this article, and I related to it so deeply. It and my recent experiences with Mrs. H led me to reflect on my own teacher preparation. I had two absolutely amazing mentors in the classroom during my student teaching, and I wouldn't be the educator I am today without their wisdom and guidance. Alongside them, I'd worked with three incredible professors at my college who were endlessly supportive and patient from day one.
The teacher education program at my college demanded incessant reflection. At first, these reflections seemed annoying and a waste of time. As I moved through the program, I came to understand their importance and value them. I saved them all on my computer and recorded activities I liked, questions I grappled with, management strategies to keep in my back pocket, and classroom decorations I hoped to emulate. Now as a teacher, I am constantly metacognitive. I think back on each aspect of my lesson and think of what I could do differently and better to serve my students. A teacher is never done learning.
During my student teaching, I remember being completely overwhelmed on my first day. I watched in awe as Mrs. M led her students through their daily routine, chatted with her best friend as she wolfed down lunch (that day I learned teaching makes you SO HUNGRY), attended an RTI meeting, ran reading assessments, and prepared parent communication to send home. She had me sit with her during small group lessons and debriefed with me during recesses and preps on what she was doing with each student and where they were academically. Mrs. V did the same thing when I joined her three weeks later. They invited me to faculty meetings, grade-level meetings, recess duty, field trips, parent-teacher conferences, report card writing, and professional development. I was a part of everything they did.
But that wasn't all. Each of them gave me about three days to sit and watch and assist with individual and small group work, then had me start teaching lessons. Mrs. M gave me a full day of lead teaching in my third week. Mrs. V added pieces one at a time -- morning meeting every other day, one reading group per day, and math once a week; then every morning meeting, two guided reading groups, and half the math instruction. By the time my supported lead teaching came around, it was a relatively seamless transition. I got to plan lessons, manage transitions, reflect on my students' successes and where I'd fallen short.
I am a teacher -- a good teacher -- because of my college and my mentors. I am still in touch with all of them, and express my gratitude at every opportunity. Even though I have officially been able call myself a teacher since receiving my license in July, I will never be the perfect teacher. I will never be done learning. My students have so much to teach me every day, as do their parents, my colleagues, and my supervisors. As much as I am a perfectionist in some areas, I've learned to be patient with myself as a teacher. The perfect is the enemy of the good, and I am constantly improving. I hope one day soon, when I have grown into the kind of teacher I really want to be, I can return to that same school and mentor young aspiring teachers from my college. I only hope I can support them as well as my advisors did me.
**********
Currently reading: I am inundated in book recommendations from students!! Can't wait to check out the school book fair tomorrow :)
Current high: first day of my Theatre and Improv Games exploratory today was SO MUCH FUN
Current low: at work 6:45am - 7:45pm, just having dinner at 9pm
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Long Days, Happy Days
With winter slowly but surely approaching (at least in this hemisphere), it seems like the days are getting shorter overall. (And winter is DEFINITELY near in Songdo...after a rainy Saturday it has been incredibly chilly.) But the hours I spend working or at school just get longer and longer! For some this might be overwhelming and a source of additional stress, but for me, they're days that are filled with things that I love and am passionate about. Everything I do feeds my soul, so I can draw energy from it.
I was chatting with one of the school administrators today, and she asked about how a recent scheduling snafu was resolved. I reassured her that I had managed to get what I needed, and we agreed that being a cross-division faculty member is hard work sometimes! At the end of our conversation she explained, "Well we all love you and we all want you," which is why it feels like tug-of-war sometimes. Even though things get crazy at certain times of year, I don't mind being caught in between two things that I love.
Take the last two days, for example. As always, I got to school super early (just before 7am), and on Mondays, that means assembly prep. I dropped my things off in my classroom and headed straight to the theatre to check microphones, set lighting, fire up projectors, and coordinate with presenters. After assembly I spent the morning planning the week with the TD of the theatre and then finishing the lighting focus for the fall play. After a quick lunch, I scurried back to third grade for science lab. We introduced bottle rockets and the kids got to work on their own designs. As soon as we went the last group back to their classrooms, I gathered my backpack and coat and headed to the theatre once more for two and a half hours of play rehearsal. Last night, after a somewhat hectic weekend, I came home, ate some leftover taco salad, and went to sleep before 8pm!
Today, a similar day. The school day was a blur of supporting our classroom's student teacher (who is lead teaching this week! woohoo!!!), setting up the tech table in the theatre, a meeting with my grade level team, and hanging with my students. The day concluded once more with play rehearsal (only 45 minutes this time!). I scooted right out to catch my PD class on teaching ESL students in mainstream classrooms, which I actually really love. Once I got home, I visited my next-door neighbors, who I'll be babysitting on Friday night. I hung with their kids to get them re-acquainted with me and wound up staying for a delicious dinner. After a few minutes at home, right back to it -- babysitting for another family two floors up! Since they went to sleep I've been alternating between catching up on TV and homework for my PD class.
Several years ago, I spent my summer doing sports ministry. My head coach during my first and last sessions became a dear friend of mine and is incredibly wise. The ministry program worked us hard, and I dropped into bed bone-tired at the end of each day. My friend DH told me once that he loved that feeling of being exhausted when climbing into bed; it meant he had given everything he had that day. So even though there are some days like Monday where I pat myself on the back for even making it home, I reflect on the day and am happy with how my energy was spent.
**********
Currently reading: still The Boleyn Deceit...my students challenged me to read for an hour tonight, let's see if I manage it between that and my PD homework!
Current high: days filled with purpose and passion
Current low: between early bedtime and homework, we had very limited time for Nerf Wars tonight!
I was chatting with one of the school administrators today, and she asked about how a recent scheduling snafu was resolved. I reassured her that I had managed to get what I needed, and we agreed that being a cross-division faculty member is hard work sometimes! At the end of our conversation she explained, "Well we all love you and we all want you," which is why it feels like tug-of-war sometimes. Even though things get crazy at certain times of year, I don't mind being caught in between two things that I love.
Today, a similar day. The school day was a blur of supporting our classroom's student teacher (who is lead teaching this week! woohoo!!!), setting up the tech table in the theatre, a meeting with my grade level team, and hanging with my students. The day concluded once more with play rehearsal (only 45 minutes this time!). I scooted right out to catch my PD class on teaching ESL students in mainstream classrooms, which I actually really love. Once I got home, I visited my next-door neighbors, who I'll be babysitting on Friday night. I hung with their kids to get them re-acquainted with me and wound up staying for a delicious dinner. After a few minutes at home, right back to it -- babysitting for another family two floors up! Since they went to sleep I've been alternating between catching up on TV and homework for my PD class.
Several years ago, I spent my summer doing sports ministry. My head coach during my first and last sessions became a dear friend of mine and is incredibly wise. The ministry program worked us hard, and I dropped into bed bone-tired at the end of each day. My friend DH told me once that he loved that feeling of being exhausted when climbing into bed; it meant he had given everything he had that day. So even though there are some days like Monday where I pat myself on the back for even making it home, I reflect on the day and am happy with how my energy was spent.
**********
Currently reading: still The Boleyn Deceit...my students challenged me to read for an hour tonight, let's see if I manage it between that and my PD homework!
Current high: days filled with purpose and passion
Current low: between early bedtime and homework, we had very limited time for Nerf Wars tonight!
Friday, November 8, 2013
I Have Had Singing
As many of you probably know, I love to sing. I've been singing in choirs since the age of six, and my longest period without a choir was during my gap year. It was one of the things I missed most about being in school, and it's one of the things I miss most now. Last year was a serious choral high point: I was president of Chorale, the choir I'd sung with since my first semester at college, and I was in Chamber Singers, an elite ensemble with some of my favourite women on the planet.
My last choral performances were the weekend of commencement, and we had a program that really tugged at the heartstrings. I Have Had Singing is a gorgeous a cappella piece that we had also sung at Baccalaureate my sophomore year. The Storm is Passing Over is a gospel piece full of soul and promise and optimism. Lechkhumuri maqruli was another familiar favourite for us, a Georgian song about a woman bringing light into a new space. Our senior song, Parting Friends from Sacred Harp, was the perfect farewell to our choral sisters. We closed our first concert with Goodnight Song, a traditional college song written nearly a century ago. Finally, at Baccalaureate, right before my speech to my fellow graduates, we sang The Road Home, which also closed Vespers my junior year. The zinger of that one: "there's no such beauty as where you belong."
Thanks for indulging my trip down choral memory lane; and I swear, I have a point. Today wound up being a weird day. Usually Friday means science lab all morning, a bit of time in the theatre in the afternoon, and closing out the week with my kiddos. Not so this week -- I got a text from the TD of the theatre this morning that he was going into Seoul with the purchasing folks from our school to get us a digital sound mixer, and could I take care of setting up for this afternoon's assemblies? No problem.
This wound up being no small task. The US music teacher and I were setting up in the atrium for her choir's performance, and I had to run over to the theatres at least three times for various cables and adapters and gear. On one trip back, I was near the MS choir room and I heard the strains of a familiar and much-beloved piece -- they were singing The Storm is Passing Over! I paused for a moment, closed my eyes, transported myself back to senior week. I was standing next to my best friend; I was smiling out at our director, my dear friend; I was surrounded by warmth and filled with joy at being part of such an incredible musical community. A deep breath, then I opened my eyes and plunged back into reality.
Later in the afternoon once everything was finally up and running, I ran sound check for the choir. For the first three pieces I was in sound engineer mode, fully absorbed in listening for a good mix. Finally, during the last piece they rehearsed (For the Beauty of the Earth), I got to stand back and listen for a while. I saw teachers, students, and visitors wander into the hallways to listen, drawn by their pure tone. I watched one girl in the front row, her joy in music so apparent in her face and body. It reminded me of watching my best friend sing, full of joie de vivre. Suddenly tears filled my eyes, and my heart truly ached for my choral past. An hour later, they performed brilliantly for their peers -- students from pre-K to grade 10 were rapt as they sang, and I rejoiced in the role that music has in bringing a community together.
Conclusion? This is a sign from the universe, people. Starting when I get back in January, I need to get my butt back into a choir. Come hell or high water, I will find a way to sing again! But for now, I'm grateful that I can have a role in helping others to enjoy music. As my college's director told us before each performance, "Someone out there needs this concert." Today, it was me.
**********
Currently reading: The Boleyn Deceit
Current high: my college's Founder's Day! Meaning one year ago today was another of my favourite performances, singing To Walk Beyond Dreams with Chamber Singers at the 175th anniversary celebration :)
Current low: crazy busy day meant no time for lunch and very little time with my kids!
My last choral performances were the weekend of commencement, and we had a program that really tugged at the heartstrings. I Have Had Singing is a gorgeous a cappella piece that we had also sung at Baccalaureate my sophomore year. The Storm is Passing Over is a gospel piece full of soul and promise and optimism. Lechkhumuri maqruli was another familiar favourite for us, a Georgian song about a woman bringing light into a new space. Our senior song, Parting Friends from Sacred Harp, was the perfect farewell to our choral sisters. We closed our first concert with Goodnight Song, a traditional college song written nearly a century ago. Finally, at Baccalaureate, right before my speech to my fellow graduates, we sang The Road Home, which also closed Vespers my junior year. The zinger of that one: "there's no such beauty as where you belong."
Thanks for indulging my trip down choral memory lane; and I swear, I have a point. Today wound up being a weird day. Usually Friday means science lab all morning, a bit of time in the theatre in the afternoon, and closing out the week with my kiddos. Not so this week -- I got a text from the TD of the theatre this morning that he was going into Seoul with the purchasing folks from our school to get us a digital sound mixer, and could I take care of setting up for this afternoon's assemblies? No problem.
This wound up being no small task. The US music teacher and I were setting up in the atrium for her choir's performance, and I had to run over to the theatres at least three times for various cables and adapters and gear. On one trip back, I was near the MS choir room and I heard the strains of a familiar and much-beloved piece -- they were singing The Storm is Passing Over! I paused for a moment, closed my eyes, transported myself back to senior week. I was standing next to my best friend; I was smiling out at our director, my dear friend; I was surrounded by warmth and filled with joy at being part of such an incredible musical community. A deep breath, then I opened my eyes and plunged back into reality.
Later in the afternoon once everything was finally up and running, I ran sound check for the choir. For the first three pieces I was in sound engineer mode, fully absorbed in listening for a good mix. Finally, during the last piece they rehearsed (For the Beauty of the Earth), I got to stand back and listen for a while. I saw teachers, students, and visitors wander into the hallways to listen, drawn by their pure tone. I watched one girl in the front row, her joy in music so apparent in her face and body. It reminded me of watching my best friend sing, full of joie de vivre. Suddenly tears filled my eyes, and my heart truly ached for my choral past. An hour later, they performed brilliantly for their peers -- students from pre-K to grade 10 were rapt as they sang, and I rejoiced in the role that music has in bringing a community together.
Conclusion? This is a sign from the universe, people. Starting when I get back in January, I need to get my butt back into a choir. Come hell or high water, I will find a way to sing again! But for now, I'm grateful that I can have a role in helping others to enjoy music. As my college's director told us before each performance, "Someone out there needs this concert." Today, it was me.
**********
Currently reading: The Boleyn Deceit
Current high: my college's Founder's Day! Meaning one year ago today was another of my favourite performances, singing To Walk Beyond Dreams with Chamber Singers at the 175th anniversary celebration :)
Current low: crazy busy day meant no time for lunch and very little time with my kids!
Monday, November 4, 2013
You Tolerate a Headache
Within the PYP, there's a lot of jargon -- the learner profile, the concepts, the transdisciplinary skills, the attitudes, and so on. For the most part I love the language they use, encouraging students to be open-minded, reflective, empathetic, and more. The PYP hopes to shape not just 21st century minds, but also thoughtful global citizens. However, there is one word among all the lingo that I think falls short of their goal, and that word is tolerance.
Tolerance is one of the twelve attitudes that the PYP guides students to develop. But is tolerance really something to strive for? Someone once said to me, "You tolerate a headache." Human beings are not headaches, and I as a person do not want to be tolerated -- I want acceptance instead. A quick internet search tells me that to tolerate is to "allow the existence, occurrence, or practice of (something that one does not necessarily like or agree with) without interference." So you won't get in the way of someone doing what they want or being who they are, but you don't necessarily work to understand or support it. To accept, on the other hand, is "to receive with approval or favor." In this case, you are welcoming and open to difference.
To be fair, I believe that when confronted with diversity, tolerance is an important step along the road to acceptance, and I don't want to discount that. There are certainly things that others do that I may not fully understand or support, and I do believe that we all have varying levels of internalized sexism, racism, and other prejudices. But as an ideal to strive for? I think tolerance is aiming rather low. Yes, being accepting of all human beings is a challenge, and I'm certainly not there yet. But an attitude of acceptance implies open-mindedness, compassion, kindness, and love.
One of the most beloved teachers from my high school closed his 2006 baccalaureate speech with one of my favourite quotes: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Ian MacLaren
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Currently reading: just finished Speak by Laurie Halse Andersen, about to start The Boleyn Deceit. Also just read this article on benevolent sexism.
Current high: spent the morning subbing in kindergarten, and the trip to early years was so good for my soul!
Current low: coming down with a horrible cold :(
Tolerance is one of the twelve attitudes that the PYP guides students to develop. But is tolerance really something to strive for? Someone once said to me, "You tolerate a headache." Human beings are not headaches, and I as a person do not want to be tolerated -- I want acceptance instead. A quick internet search tells me that to tolerate is to "allow the existence, occurrence, or practice of (something that one does not necessarily like or agree with) without interference." So you won't get in the way of someone doing what they want or being who they are, but you don't necessarily work to understand or support it. To accept, on the other hand, is "to receive with approval or favor." In this case, you are welcoming and open to difference.
To be fair, I believe that when confronted with diversity, tolerance is an important step along the road to acceptance, and I don't want to discount that. There are certainly things that others do that I may not fully understand or support, and I do believe that we all have varying levels of internalized sexism, racism, and other prejudices. But as an ideal to strive for? I think tolerance is aiming rather low. Yes, being accepting of all human beings is a challenge, and I'm certainly not there yet. But an attitude of acceptance implies open-mindedness, compassion, kindness, and love.
One of the most beloved teachers from my high school closed his 2006 baccalaureate speech with one of my favourite quotes: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Ian MacLaren
**********
Currently reading: just finished Speak by Laurie Halse Andersen, about to start The Boleyn Deceit. Also just read this article on benevolent sexism.
Current high: spent the morning subbing in kindergarten, and the trip to early years was so good for my soul!
Current low: coming down with a horrible cold :(
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