My 2014-2015 School Year
"The year I went back to work"
A year full of changes
Up until this school year, I had been teaching just 60% of the time. This year I learned more about NGSS and Common Core, got to decorate my OWN classroom, tried Genius Hour for the first time, and had another amazing student teacher. At home, we got a new dog and the boys kept me busy with basketball, karate and baseball. This was also the year that I cut back on running and started yoga (ommmm) and the year I broke both (yes, BOTH!) of my ankles.
MIT graduates cannot power a light bulb with a battery.
Luna, our new Husky
Yes, both....go big or go home, right?
In Conclusion
Truthfully, I was very distraught last year when I learned I was going back to teaching full-time. I was worried about being apart from my sons, worried about my schedule and commute, and worried about being able to manage a full load of 5 classes. Ironically, I think I was happier this school year than I have been in a long time. I feel like I enjoyed teaching and my students more and my family adjusted just fine. I need to worry less.
I am also super excited about the changes coming to science teaching. NGSS will help science education be more about "doing" science than memorizing facts. Between my changing schedule and soon curriculum, I am learning that I crave change - and that makes me happy. One thing teachers can always depend upon in education is CHANGE. Sometimes teachers have the tendency to get "stuck" the longer they have been teaching. I want to make sure that doesn't happen to me.
It was a very good year.