Learning to Transition, Personally

Happy Monday!

Lately, something I've been reflecting on deeply lately is transition, making a change and being courageous enough to do so.  While initially I thought of writing this post simply through the lens of transitioning between jobs or careers even, I acknowledge a greater connection for me is making a more personal transition.  Paulo Coelho, the author of Alchemist,  said something that really resonated with me during an interview on Supersoul Sunday.  He said: "Courage is the first spiritual quality that you need to have" and went on to say "If you don't fear the unknown, the unknown will be kind to you."  Now of course this is easier said than done, but I think trusting, having faith, being an optimist, all of those things contribute to good things coming your way.

The last two years have been extreme growth years for me.  I have learned so much about myself, the world, myself in the world, and identified things to actively work on.  One of which is facing confrontations, having hard conversations and doing so with integrity.  This is something I have actively practiced in work situations-- with colleagues, including my former boss-- as well as in my relationships with my former partner, as well as friends and family.  Sometimes it's a serious struggle to form the words to say whatever it is, but I always feel better for it.  Another thing I am practicing is, recognizing when it is time to move on from a situation, and then actively taking steps to do so.  By that I mean, at times I would prefer for new opportunities to just happen, but usually decisions have to be made and acted upon in order for change to manifest.

This post is a little all over the place, but this is a new venture for Learning Style, so I'm accepting that and going with it.  With that said, I am grateful to be blessed with amazing friends, some whom I met in otherwise largely toxic situations, such as my last job.  That just goes to show that truly during each storm there exists the makings of a rainbow.  That I know for sure.  In terms of my nearly five-year relationship that recently ended, I learned a lot about myself and others.  In a way, I came of age during it.  There comes a time when a person has to know, learn, claim their worth and purse it.  The part of me that held on way too long grieves for celebrates the learning opportunities of that time, and over all, all of me feels... right, whole.  Nothing is truly one-sided, even with the "bad," there are good things to learn and take from.  I truly believe that.

The same applies to my career move.  I took a chance by leaving yet another school, and doing so during a time when I am working towards eventually transitioning out of the classroom, and it worked out.  I think the most important thing is to know and trust that there are good things out there.  After that, all that's left is to take action on that trust.

With that said, I recognize that fear can be very powerful, whether it be fear of the unknown or fear if failure.  Regardless, whether pertaining to relationships or career moves, do your best to do your work and get your learning in.  That way, when you do strike out, you'll have learned what you needed to learn in that situation and be all the better for it.  This I'm learning.

Until next time,
<3
M

End of the School Year Goodbyes

Sometimes the end of the year means saying goodbye. Goodbye to students moving on or saying goodbye to an old school for a new one.  Over the seven years I've been teaching middle school, I've said goodbye in several ways for several different reasons.

During my first year teaching a self contained class of all rough boys and one tough girl, there was the angry kid who was sent to a district seventy five school. It was only the third month of school, but already I saw him and could only hope as I said goodbye that he would be okay in life.

From then on I began to say goodbye regularly-- from graduating students leaving the school, to students moving in the middle of the year and preferred colleagues moving on to bigger and better, or just new schools. 

The hardest goodbye of them all occurred during the last week of my sixth year teaching.  Saying goodbye to my then group of eighth graders who I had taught for two years in a small setting, while saying goodbye to the school where I began my teaching career and where I truly grew as an individual and a professional was hard.  Yet,it was bittersweet because it meant moving on from a school where I felt stagnant. It allowed movement. Bittersweet because my students were also moving up and moving on.  It was the perfect transition.

And of course there are the students you teach and when you reach the end of the school year, you're happy that they've moved on to be taught by somebody else.  One particular student showed up in that July dream I always have after the school year is over about school, and I literally woke up from that dream to reject that encounter. 

So how does a teacher say goodbye? To students, with a hug or a handshake. Maybe an encouraging note in a student's yearbook and if your school allows it and it's been a particularly great year, with party. To colleagues, a hug if they're the hugging type, by sharing contacts, and with a smile and bittersweet words.


Love,
Miss M

Meet Students at the Door!

I left my class today, after letting my co-teacher know of course, to find eight missing students.  It was eighth period, and after having taught the class earlier in the day, I knew those students were either in trouble in their last class or straggling in the hall.  Either way, seven years of teaching has taught me that nothing good comes of a mass of late students entering at once, without the teacher filtering them in.  I cannot stress the importance of meeting challenging students, or simply needy students, at the door instead of allowing them to enter on their own.  Energy is real.

I found four of those students in the guidance office, one was being picked up early and the rest trickled in.  With ten days left, I am not interested in entertaining an even slightly-rowdy class.  Therefore, I am especially preemptive.  Meet them at the door, lights dimmed, greet with calm tone and keep them engaged.  And when a bunch are missing, go find them if you have the luxury.  One student has the power to set off a class, and more than one late student has the ability keep the class off-task for an entire period.

Love,
Miss M

How to Enter a 12:1:1 Classroom & Teach

I had a conversation with a co-worker recently that still has me pondering: How do you enter a self-contained class with the students already in it, and gain immediate control of the classroom?  Already, having students walk into a room from the hall can be challenging, in that the students come to you with all kinds of energies, moods and problems.  However, something that worked well for me during my self-contained years, was greeting my students at the door.  I addressed each of them by name and I taught them to address me similarly.  What I was really doing was monitoring the energy that was entering the room.  If a student was too rowdy or upset even, I told them to pause at the door, breathe deeply and let it go.  I taught them, mainly by repetition and practice, to leave all drama at the door.  If a student happened to run-in while I was not at the door, I asked them to re-enter like they knew how, in other words, in a more appropriate and respectful way.

Thankfully, I had my own classroom and I guarded its energy furiously.  My classroom was my home away from home, and the last thing I wanted was negative energies coming in and making home in my teaching space.

So when it came to this conversation with this co-worker, the only thing that came to mind was you can't start your lesson right away when you walk into a self-contained class, or any class for that matter.  You have to read and address the energy of the room.  Say good morning to the class and have them address you in turn.  Transition is important, even for the older-too-cool-for-school kids.  I also suggested he do a mood check-in by going around the room and having the kids say one word about how they are that day, or they can jot it down.

My advice to all teachers walking into a self-contained room to teach easily unfocused students: Acknowledge their person, acknoweldge them as students and make sure they address/greet/welcome you as teacher.

This is just the beginning of conversations between this co-worker and myself around self-contained teaching strategies, and I welcome this dialogue as means to reflect on my six years working with special education students in the 12:1:1 setting.

Love,
Miss M

In a State of Transition

It is fitting that it took me seven years to start this blog, but everything is in time. I am in a space of transition. I have moved into a new apartment; I have started new work at another school; and I am going through a few personal shifts as well.

I am learning that not all changes, transitions, shifts, whatever you choose to name them as, manifest in obvious, unmistakable ways. My new apartment is literally two floors down in the same brownstone; my new work is still with special education students but in a different capacity and in addition to teaching mainly general education students; and my internal shifts, well all it took was thinking a few new thoughts and some deep breathing.

 As I near the end of my first full week, I know that my decision to start a new position was the right one. I am at a school where I will be challenged in new and exciting ways, and I know that I will continue to grow as an educator. It was a very hard decision to leave my old school, where I taught for six, heartfelt years, but it was a very necessary one.

Prior to this shift, I had one foot out the door. I had what I call a love-strong dislike relationship with teaching. I was so ready to quit by year five, and I even started a blog originally titled "I Quit So Hard." It makes me chuckle now to write this, but that was a sentiment that ran through my head one day as I took a seat at my desk in the middle of my teaching period. As I reflected, some clear statements came to mind, such as: I can't. I won't. I refuse. This is too much.

And it was. Teaching has been such an amazing experience, I don't know where to begin sometimes. Hopefully, this blog will chronicle many of those stories, observations, lessons and tips that I've accumulated thus far, and will continue to as my seventh year progresses. In between, there will be some fun, never too serious, photos of me in my work outfits.On that note, here's to the many learning styles, and the respect that they all warrant.

Love.
Miss M