Being a first-year teacher is all about learning, but a major part of the learning, for me at least, has been learning about what it means to be a teacher. In the past week or so, I have come to realize that being a teacher is all about making choices. Some of those choices, like whether or not to have breakfast, are easy (always, always eat breakfast), while others are considerably more challenging, like should I go to an Oscar party even though I have school tomorrow?
Although to the untrained eye, that second choice may seem just as easy as the first, it is decidedly not. For one thing, I rarely have time to relax and enjoy good food and company, but on the other, it is harder to be an engaging teacher when I am excessively tired. Lately, however, I have been finding it more necessary to relax. Although I'm tired, I feel noticeably better and I hope it is rubbing off on the kids. Spring's arrival, I'm sure, doesn't hinder that either.
Another thing I've been finding is that I have to decide when to be the caring, all-giving teacher and when to say no to kids. From September through December, I had kids with me during nearly every lunch and practically every day after school. While it helped me build strong relationships with them and improved their understanding, it took up most of my free time and I found myself staying up late lesson planning as a result. Just recently, I have been able to politely push kids out of the room and dedicate some "me" time. Sure, they give me dirty looks, but I'm planning better lessons too.
Today, I made another big choice. I was (surprise) spreading myself too thin in the realm of extracurricular activities for the students. Since our school is small, there is less opportunity for kids to do things after school. I started a computer club to help with this problem and have been running it with another teacher for several months. However, I also started an Honor Society because I felt that good students were not getting enough recognition. The two had been competing for my time and, although I feel strongly connected to both, I released computer club into the hands of my partner today. It has outlived its original purpose and was really too small to monopolize two teachers' time.
Overall, I am certainly learning how to make better decisions about how to use my time and when to say no to something, even if I find it worthwhile. In the end, I won't be able to save every student, so it is up to me to learn how to choose the ones who need help the most.



As a writer, one of the greatest things one can ask for is to be featured in a print publication. Blogging has taken off in recent years, but there is something about being in print that feels more permanent. After all, anyone can start a blog, but not everyone will be published in a newsletter that goes out to thousands of educators.
I had almost given up hoping for a snow day, after Bloomberg announced yesterday that he would not be canceling school unless weather conditions worsened. I resigned myself to going into school, shuffling through the sludge and arriving at school tired, soggy and cold.