I was lucky to have found a great job only a year out of college. I was teaching 8th grade English in a small town in Minnesota. The school was nearly brand new and had been designed for teams of students. The layout of the school had a wing for each grade, so teachers across the hall from the other teachers on the team. In addition to a physical layout set up for teams, our daily schedule allowed for common prep time. Honestly, I couldn’t have had a better schedule. Our common prep time was from 1:15 - 3:30, every day. This means I was able to meet with my team of 8th grade teachers EVERY. DAY. As a young educator, this was the perfect environment to blossom. I was supported and challenged daily by team members. We pushed each other to find the right assessments, handle behaviors compassionately, contact parents frequently, and so much more. I had three mentors built into my day to use as sounding boards as I navigated the overwhelming task of educating 120 squirrely 8th graders.
Unfortunately... life moved on, and I left my perfect job. It was time for a new challenge. I started a new adventure and recently moved to the central coast of California. I found a job as a Literacy Specialist for a nearby elementary school, but I’m only part time and I don’t have a team of teachers surrounding me. I no longer have daily team meetings with colleagues who will challenge me to find the best solution, not just the easy one. I guess it is time to grow up and challenge myself. Hence why I’m here - creating this blog. I need your help.
We live in an age where we don’t need to sit face to face to have a lively discussion about the best way to incorporate a BYOD program or how to motivate boys to read. We can have this discussion here - or on Twitter - or in a Google Hangout - or a thousand other places. So I’m starting this blog to be my starting place for challenging conversations with fellow educators. Will you join me?
-Lauren
@msknuttila
P.S.
Look for my next blog entry later this week on teaching students living in poverty!
Unfortunately... life moved on, and I left my perfect job. It was time for a new challenge. I started a new adventure and recently moved to the central coast of California. I found a job as a Literacy Specialist for a nearby elementary school, but I’m only part time and I don’t have a team of teachers surrounding me. I no longer have daily team meetings with colleagues who will challenge me to find the best solution, not just the easy one. I guess it is time to grow up and challenge myself. Hence why I’m here - creating this blog. I need your help.
We live in an age where we don’t need to sit face to face to have a lively discussion about the best way to incorporate a BYOD program or how to motivate boys to read. We can have this discussion here - or on Twitter - or in a Google Hangout - or a thousand other places. So I’m starting this blog to be my starting place for challenging conversations with fellow educators. Will you join me?
-Lauren
@msknuttila
P.S.
Look for my next blog entry later this week on teaching students living in poverty!
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