To Infinity and Beyond

Teaching must be one of the most fascinating things I've ever done and I had no idea it could be so.

You have a room, students, books, content, and time.  Then there's the space outside of you and yours, the rest of the school building, the other grades, the other teachers, and the time you spend between your classes.

My Students

Some of these students like to talk a lot, some will only open there mouths to breath.

Some are a bit behind on the material, some can and do fly ahead.

Some want to be there, some don't.

Some are bored, some are interested.

Some pay attention to instruction, others pay attention to the distractions in their head.

Some are diligent and need not be watched, others need you all the time.

Some fake they know what's going on, others ask when they don't know what's going on

Some have lots of energy, some have ZzZzZz written across their forehead.

Now each student student varies in these qualities personally, and then the qualities they possess vary day to day due to who knows what (phase of the moon?).

Up at the front of the room, or back, or the side, or the middle there's me trying so damn hard to manage instruction, the students, and my own pulse.

The more I struggle the more I learn and the more I like teaching.  The days are full of funny, interesting, or inquisitive moments brought to me by my students or the people I work with.  I've never had a job where I like seeing the people I work with and my 'customers' (students)

How I Learn

As a novice, I'm learning through trial and error, peer observation, and peer collaboration.  Formal training would be so nice right now, ha!  Rob observed and critiqued one of my classes which was a bundle of help and then he taught one my classes.  That was a riot.  He has loads of teaching experience and a formal education so the class he taught was an eventful learning experience for me.

Over the coming weeks I see my classroom management skills developing faster than my instruction skills.  Instruction skill involves both running instruction and how I plan my lessons to be taught.  All the while I'll be aggregating the materials, activities, classroom wisdom vital to teaching.

Long Term

As I say, I have a general direction in mind but the route I take to get there changes day to day and where exactly 'there' is shifts around a bit.  Right now, the general notion of becoming a teacher sounds pretty pleasing.  But what kind and where?  Would I be an English teacher or prototypical primary school teacher?  In the US or outside? 

No idea.

Short Term 

Ahh the shitty interview question, "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

Honestly, I have so many realistic, fantastic options that such a prediction is impossible.  Factor in random events and the future is truly nebulous.  Tell me a year ago I'd be teaching in Thailand in a place called Chiang Rai and I'd laugh and tell you you're crystal ball or time machine needed to be calibrated.

Ha!

"It's Trance"

I've been playing Cycles Radio and Group Therapy for my students in the morning and they love it.  Both play the type of electronic music I like, they're 2 hour podcasts.  What's funny is I don't think any of them have ever heard music like it at all.  They keep asking me "what song is this?" The best answer I can give them is "It's trance."

When your work day starts off with you listening to music you love with your students who love it so much they beg you to put it on, you know somethings going right in your life. =)