Thursday, November 09, 2006
I am happy to announce that I have just taken a job as a part time ESL middle school teacher.
Wish me luck.
Strikes against me:
I'm starting mid-year.
The position has been vacant all school year.
I'm teaching in a "pull-out" situation (I don't have my own class period, I take students out of other classes to do instruction).
I'm split between two schools.
I'm the only ESL teacher in these schools.
I have no idea what the rules of these schools are. I've never been in them before.
I'm a first year teacher.
The teacher that filled this position last year left a bad taste in many students' and adminstrators' mouths.
I'm 6 months pregnant, soon to be entering my third trimester when all the discomfort begins again.
There are no books or curriculum for this class. ESL books and literature books have disappeared.
I don't really OWN any elementary/middle school books. The Brother's Karamozov may be a bit beyond these students reading levels. Thus, bringing in my own books to teach isn't really an option.
I've agreed to stay on at my current job for 8-15 hours per week through the end of December, thus, I'll be pulled between two jobs and (oh yeah) I'll still be a student.
I'm not entirely sure I know how the bureaucracy of ESL works in this state.
I don't speak Spanish. (I'm hoping most of my beginning students magically speak, as their first language, Russian or French, maybe Bulgarian or Lingala, too.)
In my favor:
I'm competent, well-organized, and thorough.
I'm creative.
My mom might find my old childhood books and give me some.
There is a library near by (ah... I love libraries).
I will be working less hours (at least on face level) than I am now, giving me time to research like crazy for ideas, etc.
I'm decent at learning languages, and have a summer off now to immerse myself in beginning Spanish. OH -- and I can get those lessons on tape and learn Spanish on my commute between the two schools! BRILLIANT!
I fully expect not to be the best teacher possible this year. My dreams are high, my expectations realistic.
It's a shame there are more things to list under "strikes against me" than "in my favor." Oh well! I've got my work cut out for me! This is for you, baby McMullen!
Wish me luck.
Strikes against me:
I'm starting mid-year.
The position has been vacant all school year.
I'm teaching in a "pull-out" situation (I don't have my own class period, I take students out of other classes to do instruction).
I'm split between two schools.
I'm the only ESL teacher in these schools.
I have no idea what the rules of these schools are. I've never been in them before.
I'm a first year teacher.
The teacher that filled this position last year left a bad taste in many students' and adminstrators' mouths.
I'm 6 months pregnant, soon to be entering my third trimester when all the discomfort begins again.
There are no books or curriculum for this class. ESL books and literature books have disappeared.
I don't really OWN any elementary/middle school books. The Brother's Karamozov may be a bit beyond these students reading levels. Thus, bringing in my own books to teach isn't really an option.
I've agreed to stay on at my current job for 8-15 hours per week through the end of December, thus, I'll be pulled between two jobs and (oh yeah) I'll still be a student.
I'm not entirely sure I know how the bureaucracy of ESL works in this state.
I don't speak Spanish. (I'm hoping most of my beginning students magically speak, as their first language, Russian or French, maybe Bulgarian or Lingala, too.)
In my favor:
I'm competent, well-organized, and thorough.
I'm creative.
My mom might find my old childhood books and give me some.
There is a library near by (ah... I love libraries).
I will be working less hours (at least on face level) than I am now, giving me time to research like crazy for ideas, etc.
I'm decent at learning languages, and have a summer off now to immerse myself in beginning Spanish. OH -- and I can get those lessons on tape and learn Spanish on my commute between the two schools! BRILLIANT!
I fully expect not to be the best teacher possible this year. My dreams are high, my expectations realistic.
It's a shame there are more things to list under "strikes against me" than "in my favor." Oh well! I've got my work cut out for me! This is for you, baby McMullen!
Comments:
Laura,
I have a friend who does this exact same thing in Springfield. Please e-mail me and I'll put you in contact with her, ok?! She was a teacher in the exchange student program that I coordinated this past summer.
Carrie
I have a friend who does this exact same thing in Springfield. Please e-mail me and I'll put you in contact with her, ok?! She was a teacher in the exchange student program that I coordinated this past summer.
Carrie
# posted by 
: 11/09/2006 6:09 PM
: 11/09/2006 6:09 PM
Congratulations! You're welcome to come poke through my kiddie lit collection to look for things that might be useful. And if you give me a wish list, or a general idea of the kinds of books you want, I'll keep an eye out as I do my book scouting.
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