Why I Teach

Today was the last day of my school’s state mandated standardized testing. Today my students (and the other 1,000 students at PJHS) sat down and had to choose correct answers for the English portion of the ACT ASPIRE. They also had to write a well thought out, well planned, well explained essay in 30 minutes. And as I sat there wincing and wanting to shake them and ask, “How could you forget to indent your paragraphs?!?!?!” I couldn’t help but think about why I teach.

I do not teach for standardized testing.

I teach for the kids.

That is what it boils down to. To these precious 12 and 13 year old kids who are too street savvy for their own good, but still innocent and ignorant in some of the most basic ways.

I teach for the kid who draws me a new picture every week just because he loves to draw and wants to give them to someone who will appreciate it. He tells me I am the best teacher in the universe. (I know this isn’t true, especially since some of the best teachers I know are friends and mentors. Still it’s nice to hear.)

Yes, that is me riding a dinosaur. Are you this cool? I think not!

I teach for the kid who is severely Autistic, but since hearing I used to live in Taiwan has read all of my tour guide books and is a veritable fount of information about that country. He has decided he wants to live in Taipei one day.

I teach for the kid who, last year, hated everyone and everything. This year, when I talk to him, he is staying out of trouble and credits myself and a coach with teaching him how to control his temper. This child gave me a candle last year for Christmas that was half burned and unwrapped. Did I mention that it is one of my favorite gifts EVER! When he does big things one day, I will totally claim responsibility.

I teach for the girls who talk to me about boy issues. I teach for the kids who come and ask me for snack because their parents don’t send one for them and they don’t have money to buy one. I teach for the small moments of time where I can teach a morality lesson because of something we read in class. I teach for the kids who ask to stay in at break and sweep my room. They know they have a safe place with me.

I love that he was so concerned with correct grammar. And he labeled at least one part of speech!

 I teach for the kids who become readers after reading “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe”. (You mean there are more books after this one? Can I borrow it?) I teach for the kids who suddenly understand what it means to cite evidence in a response. I teach for the kids who understand that I teach a much harder concept so that they will better understand the easier concept.

I teach for the kids that I can encourage and be their cheerleader. That is why I go to every single sporting event, band concert, funeral, and club event that I can. And they know that I am there. And it means so much to them (most of the time). I teach for the kids that I can comfort and reassure when they cry. As good as I am at making kids cry, I am equally as good at stopping tears just by being a tad bit weird and blunt.

Now granted, I have bad days. There are days when I cry and get angry and throw away papers that they STILL didn’t write their name on even after I reminded them twice! There are days when I raise my voice, and days when I make kids cry because of their behavior. (I am really good at making 7^th grade boys cry.) There are days when I get frustrated because everyone understood the concept YESTERDAY, yet failed the test I gave today.

But I teach on. I teach for the opportunity to affect someone’s life, to help a child find his love for poetry, to have a safe place to talk, to teach correct behavior to. If I only affect one person, one child I will consider it well worth it.

That’s why I teach.

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Home is where the heart is

Well here I am. It has been a year and a half since the previous blog post about leaving Taiwan. Honestly, for a while I didn't blog because it was too painful. For two years, my blog was a way to keep my friends and family updated about my life. And I couldn't cope with blogging about adjusting to life in America because I missed my life and friends in Taiwan so much. Then I got busy. In order to combat the sadness, I took on far too much (like that is new) and buried myself in work.

Now I am finally at a place where I feel like I should begin blogging again. I don't labor under any delusion that a large amount of people read this. However it is cathartic to get my thoughts out.

For the past two years I have lived, breathed, and eaten teaching 7th grade English. There are days (last week) where I feel like I am a teaching rockstar and then there are days (like today) where I want to crawl under a rock. I teach one class of three ESL students where I either teach them English and American customs, help them with their homework, or just make sure they are doing what they are supposed to. Second, Third, and Fourth period I teach Basic English which is Special Education and lower students (I call them my Basic Babies). Fifth period is my planning period and sixth period is my regular English class.

Being a teacher is hard work despite what people think. I teach all day long arriving normally around 7 and not leaving until AT LEAST 4:30 or 5. Most days however, I am busy running one of my five clubs or attending sports events, band concerts, or just trying to catch up with my crazy amount of paperwork.

I am currently in the middle of Baseball season. I am the sponsor of the Diamond Dolls, eight delightful young ladies who are managers for the team. I keep the baseball stats and am in the process of teaching them to do the same. I also help run the Cat's Meow Theatre Troupe, BETA Club and the Cat Spirit Club as well as being in charge of the Spelling Bee and putting on the first PJHS Talent Show in November!

I have also had the privilege of being involved in two productions at The Wetumpka Depot Theatre. This summer I was assistant stage manager for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and in January/February I stage-managed I Love You. You're Perfect. Now Change. Through this wonderful theatre, I have met some wonderful friends that now seem like family after our long days and nights together. As if this did not give me the opportunity to re-kindle my love for theatre, being so close to amazing venues with amazing shows certainly has. I have had the opportunity to see Mary Poppins, The Great Gatsby, The Taming of the Shrew, A Christmas Carol, and Dracula - the ballet at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. I have also gotten the opportunity to see Newsies and The Book of Mormon at the Fox Theater and the BJCC. Tomorrow I will go back to ASF to see The Importance of Being Earnest.

Though I struggled for a while, I have made some amazing friends. It is of course wonderful to be back with my family. My dear friend Mallory married David Breed last January and my baby brother married the sweet Anna Jean Cox in November.















It has been a busy year and a half. There have been extreme highs and devastating lows. There have been days where I doubted my decision to leave Taiwan and days where my choice was confirmed to be the right one. The old saying, "Home is where your heart is." is correct and for now, my heart is here.