Middle School: Heaven or Hell?

Teaching middle schoolers. 6th to 8th grade. 11-14 year olds. For me the question was really
Hell, or a deeper level of Hell?

When I got into teaching I always saw myself as a 3rd to 5th grade teacher, I was not interested at all in middle or high school. Two of my sons have hit those grade levels while I've gone through credentialing and subbing, but they weren't what made me shudder at the thought of 30+ 7th graders 6 times a day, it was their classmates. Kids will be kids, teenage boys will be teenage boys, but I wanted no part of trying to teach them. Add in teenage girls? No. Thank. You.

Which makes me laugh every time I sub in one of our middle school classes and come to the end of the day thinking  It would be so cool to teach this subject/grade/kids! It probably has a lot to do with knowing these students, some were in my first real class ever and all the 6th graders I had last year for P.E., and being able to treat them as young people, not just bodies in the way of a smooth day. Part of it has to do with a feeling, almost a mantra, I've had since seeing poor teachers in my children's lives: I can do better. Maybe it comes from a background in the cutthroat worlds of both sports and retail, but I usually feel I can teach these students more and teach them better. Athletics and retail management require constant adjustment and improvement, the seeking of better methods, better practice, better results, and the harsh reality that those results must be more efficient and effective than others' or you lose ("others" in education being Hollywood, hormones, Snapchat, e-cigs, etc.). At my school it's less I can do better and mostly I want to be a part of this as I see first hand in their classrooms, in their conversations, and in their students how these teachers are constantly trying to find what works and what will work better.

So middle school wouldn't be too bad after all.

Dear Principal...

I have at least been blogging a little, telling Principals how wonderful I am, but would like to get back to reflecting and planning more, digging a little deeper once in a while. I blame Netflix (since I cannot possibly blame The Wife) for my dearth of writing as well as my expanded waistline -- can't snack while typing, can I?

Reasons To Hire Me

where was I, number 7?

7.  Don't let my "visible experience" from point #6 mislead, I am not a doddering retiree embarking on a second career -- I'm still (relatively) young and (fairly) active.  We walk, hike, racquetball, skateboard, challenge any number of sons plus neighborhood children to basketball, football, or dodgeball, and spend a majority of the summer at the beach.  I feel an active, healthy lifestyle is beneficial on mental and scholarly levels and want my students to see me practicing what I preach -- eating fruit and veggies, getting outside and walking around during breaks, classroom stretching every once in a while to get our blood flowing... and on the middle school hoops, I can still dunk.

8. I am active in the community -- several different communities, actually.  We do Cub Scouts near home, sports near the former home, and the boys' school is in a separate part if town entirely.  I've coached Pop Warner football teams, taught Art lessons, made signs and hung banners, and picked up trash and folded chairs after many an event.  I remember hearing a teacher complain about seeing a student and family while grocery shopping, but I think it's so cool when I hear "Coach Joel!" or "Mr. Nauton!" and see one of my kids around town.  Although it's probably like the All-Star giving autographs, it gets old after a while...?

9.  I have three sons, one each in high/middle/elementary school. They were my inspiration for taking this leap, my encouragement and tutors during the return to school, and my connections as I enter the world of 8-15 year olds ("what is a justin beiber again?").  Mostly through the use of the word "no" I am able to stay in touch with the modern student's world, as in "No, you may not see that movie/watch that show/play that song one more time/wear your pants like that/have a girlfriend" etc, etc.  I also have a constant supply of book recommendations, pop culture questions, technology upgrade requests, and a captive audience when I want to experiment try out a new lesson plan or classroom behavior strategy.

Application Time!

I'm not sure what is worse: this line from a local school district:

"We received over 400 applications and only hired 10 new teachers."

...or the dreaded "Tell us about yourself" introduction letter?

I was never good at self-evaluations at work, either too critical or too much the braggart -- but "I really didn't do much of anything" won't get one a raise, and "This place would collapse into rubble without me" doesn't endear one to immediate supervisors.  Now I need to tell principals why they should hire me to work in one of their classrooms, and I'm out on the tightrope, balancing between the feeling that I have no idea what I'm doing and announcing myself as the second coming of Socrates.

So why should a principal hire me?  Let me count the ways...

1. I enjoy kids.  They amaze me when they learn, inspire me when they create, crack me up just by walking in the door and saying good morning.
2. I love learning.  Through reading, hearing, watching, doing -- even trying to do but messing things up can be some learning. I love learning about new things I've never heard of before and learning something new about things I thought I knew all about.  I love sharing the "Wow, that was cool!" moment with others when we learn together.
3. I think it is very important to set a good example, to walk the walk after (and sometimes during) talking the talk -- teachers/parents/adults should do the same things we tell children they should do, such as read a book, get out in the fresh air, visit a museum, make friends with a bully, sit up straight...
4. I enjoy what I do.  If we have to work or do a task, might as well do it with a smile, do it well, do it right the first time.  It sounds corny, but I cannot wait to have a job I am really going to look forward to going to each morning!
5. I know how to listen to and talk with a wide variety of people, even unhappy ones.  I was in retail sales for 20 years and have heard every complaint, excuse, and con in the book.  I will be able to efficiently communicate and cooperate with parents and co-workers, and be able to calmly handle any difficulties that might arise.
6. Speaking of years, I have lived a few more than most rookie teachers, which means not only do I have a bit of that distinguished, professorial gray, but I'm definitely in this job for life.  I plan on spending at least the next 30 years (just enough to pay off the student loans!) as a teacher.  It is who I am, it is what I want to do.
   

Online Resume?

It's not finished, and it's not perfect, but I think it's my resume/eFolio and maybe quite possibly youneverknow it may help me get a job.

Will Teach for Food

When I was looking for work many years ago, in between retail gigs, I thought I should do something different. I didn't really want to work in retail anymore, I wanted something more exciting, challenging, rewarding, and I was fed up with the traditional help wanted ads/resume job search also. I thought why not market myself, take out an ad that says "Hey, I'm wonderful, I work hard, never out sick, creative and polite and enjoy helping others. Please hire me."

I didn't, and I worked in retail another decade, but now it's time to find another paycheck. Thank goodness I found Education, teaching is definitely, decidedly, 100%-edly what I want to do with the rest of my life. And this time I'm going to try to do things a little different (no, not delivering resumes in a gorilla suit or attached to balloons) to ensure prospective employers know who I am, what I stand for, and why I believe I will be (not yet but some day) a great teacher.

Please check it out, props to LiveBinders, and as always I welcome comments and suggestions (is it to amateur looking? too wordy? hard to navigate, especially if you are a non-tech savvy Principal? are my kids too ugly?)