This is my last blog post for ASU Reynolds, so I will try and make it count!
This has been such an amazing experience and I want to thank EVERYONE involved. Thank you Steve, Anita, Alan and all of the other presenters. Being accepted to this institute is an honor and I will never forget this experience!
I was hired three weeks into the school year last year and took the place of a teacher that was "dismissed". This was a hard transition because several of the students loved the teacher that I replaced and were very upset that she left. All year I had students compare me to her and it was very difficult. I take my job very seriously and this really made me upset. This teacher had a very different teaching philosophy and was not as "strict" as me. I'll leave it at that.
Now I am on to my second year of teaching. I have a new classroom and a whole new set of students. I am very excited to have a fresh start and really create a reputation at my school. This letter was the start of the journey. I am determined, energetic and extremely passionate about taking over the school newspaper! Thank you ASU Reynolds for giving me the confidence to take on this amazing journey!
Katie Kroeze
Lincoln High School
Sioux Falls S.D.
Best of luck Katie as you embark upon your next adventure. Yes...each year is an adventure! I know what it's like to be compared to the person before you. When I first started teaching, I was the fourth teacher of a five-year-old program that had never had a television show! We were up and running in two months.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great opportunity to establish YOUR brand. I did it and never looked back. I just completed my 9th year of teaching and have started three different student-produced television shows in my school district.
It takes a minute for those who are used to the previous teacher to cycle through. However, if you are firm, they'll grow accustomed to your way of doing things.
When you see those smiling faces of students you impact, and hear (and become a part of) their success stories long after they've graduated, it makes it all the more worth it.
All the best...
Eva D. Coleman
Frisco ISD Career and Technical Education Center
Frisco, Texas
Well said Katie. You have a bright future ahead of you.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that although I've been teaching 20+ years, each year is my first in many ways. The wonder, enthusiasm, and expectation of what can be is fresh each August.
One piece of advice, I never make major decisions about my career in February. That month is dreary, weather wise. Kids and teachers are dealing with inconsistent instruction due to snowdays. Everybody seems blah! Remember spring is around the corner.
When things aren't going as smoothly as you'd like, remember you have a whole new support group you can call on. And when things are going amazingly, let that support group know. We might be in need of a pick up.
Looking forward to keeping in touch with all of you. I can't wait to get with my staffers for camp week so we can start using some of what I've learned.
Karen L. Swortzel
Alleghany High School
Covington, Va.