I decided in 4th grade I wanted to be a teacher. I'm not sure why, but that decision never
waved as I grew up. There were a few
years in my mid-twenties that I felt I wasn't mature enough to dedicate myself
to being the type of teacher I wanted to be.
After of few years of <ahem> carefree years I felt ready, went
back to college and got my degree in teaching.
I always thought second grade would be the perfect grade to teach until I accepted my first job in a 5th and 6th grade classroom. I have loved working with the middle school aged student throughout my almost 30 year career.
I've watched out education system change a lot over the years. The self-contained classroom was the norm back then. I taught all subjects, including music, art and P.E., to one group of students for a full year. There are advantages to that system, such as being able to tie all the subjects together. I remember using a world history and culture theme throughout the all subject areas culminating in a Spring multi-cultural Festival. The disadvantage was teach multi-skill levels in reading and math. there was also the problem with areas being shorted in classrooms where a teacher didn't feel comfortable with a particular subject such as science.
The schools evolved to trading students for math and reading so a teacher could better focus on a particular skill level. I like team teaching, as it was called. Today, at the intermediate and middle school levels, teachers are specialists in one or two subject areas. I specialized in Math and Science. I loved teaching those subjects and got to know so many students. I missed the bond that was built by have the same group the entire day.
When I started teaching, testing happened rarely. As time went on the students were tested more and more. I like that there is a standardized curriculum taught to all students and teachers are given specific skills to teach. That wasn't necessarily true earlier. I don't like the curriculum pushed so rapidly that mastery is often not possible, just for the sake of a test.
What I like best right now is that social media has allowed me to stay in touch with so many of my past students. I am amazed at the influence we have all had on each other.
I always thought second grade would be the perfect grade to teach until I accepted my first job in a 5th and 6th grade classroom. I have loved working with the middle school aged student throughout my almost 30 year career.
I've watched out education system change a lot over the years. The self-contained classroom was the norm back then. I taught all subjects, including music, art and P.E., to one group of students for a full year. There are advantages to that system, such as being able to tie all the subjects together. I remember using a world history and culture theme throughout the all subject areas culminating in a Spring multi-cultural Festival. The disadvantage was teach multi-skill levels in reading and math. there was also the problem with areas being shorted in classrooms where a teacher didn't feel comfortable with a particular subject such as science.
The schools evolved to trading students for math and reading so a teacher could better focus on a particular skill level. I like team teaching, as it was called. Today, at the intermediate and middle school levels, teachers are specialists in one or two subject areas. I specialized in Math and Science. I loved teaching those subjects and got to know so many students. I missed the bond that was built by have the same group the entire day.
When I started teaching, testing happened rarely. As time went on the students were tested more and more. I like that there is a standardized curriculum taught to all students and teachers are given specific skills to teach. That wasn't necessarily true earlier. I don't like the curriculum pushed so rapidly that mastery is often not possible, just for the sake of a test.
What I like best right now is that social media has allowed me to stay in touch with so many of my past students. I am amazed at the influence we have all had on each other.