What makes me different...

I have been at inservice throughout the week. Most of it has been pointless information that I have heard a million times before...but some of it has been useful. I think one of the best things about this week is that my excitement to be doing what I love again has been building. I have been out of teaching for 2 years now and I really miss it. But now...in the near future...I will be back in the classroom with students again.

Being in the classroom with kids is one of the times in life when I am completely happy. Nothing else matters. Even on the bad days when my troublemakers are at their worst and the lesson is not going as I would like it to go...I am still happy. I love the challenge. I think that teaching is one of the things that will help me get through the hard days of missing home. At this point I have only felt the pangs of missing home at moments. But then it passes. I think that those pangs will gradually get longer and become aches as the months go by...but when I am in the classroom...doing what I love...I think that it will help me through.

So on to my title for this morning...what makes me different. While sitting in inservice I have had the chance to talk with other teachers and observe the things around me. There are moments when I realize that I am very different from the people around me. I view teaching and children very differently than most. I am not saying that my views are right and other people's views are wrong...just that I see how different they are.

Of course...now that I am in high school I think many things are even more apparent. For one I am elementary trained. This means that in general I am more learner focused than content focused. I think it is important for children to learn content...but I think that I have other things that I must teach them that are even more important than content. I have noticed that many high school teachers are opposite in their thinking.

I could be wrong in my perceptions...but I think that this year will be a challenge. Beside the obvious ways...new school...new subject...new district...far away from home...I think it will be a challenge to remain who I am and do what I think is right regardless of what others may think. The way I teach is different...but not wrong...it fits me. It is easy...even as an adult to be affected by peer pressure. I think the desire to fit is even more pronounced when you are new.

Well...as always...it is time to wrap up and get to school. I guess this is a good thing because I could ramble on forever! Off to another exciting day of inservice!!!!