It's not the teaching that makes my job tough. It's not the endless planning and preparation. It's not the long hours. It's not the lack of curriculum and being required to recreate the wheel. It's not the fact that I'm forbidden to have a specific science and social studies time. It's not dealing with a variety of students who have a wide range of abilities from a first grade to a eleventh grade reading level. It's not the fact that I have students who choose to complete no schoolwork the entire day.
As I've been pondering what makes my job incredibly difficult and how I can't see anyone in my generation teaching for the next 40 years of their lives, I've come to a conclusion. The amount of data we are required to collect and how it completely consumes your teaching time so you can't actually teach your students coupled with the nasty politics which come with education will make it a rarity to find an elementary teacher 40 years from now whose been teaching elementary students for 40 years.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
My Journals Part 1
As I unpacked two months ago, I unpacked my keepsake box. In the age of my single digits, I was instructed by my mom to store special things in a storage container that I would want later in my life, i.e., when I left and went out on my own. In that tote, I stored my salt and pepper shakers, butter knife, ice cream scoop, glasses, letters, old Bibles, a weaving kit, mementos from my travels, and my journals. Now that I'm in my own place, not much is left in my keepsake box as I can now utilize many items and the others I have on display around my place. As I unpacked, I was incredibly distracted by the 14 journals which I had filled in the past 11 years. I've decided to share my walk down memory lane though because of my now 16 journals and since I don't desire to overwhelm you, this will be a two-part series.
My first journal. This was a Christmas gift from Nathan and the journal which started it all. I poured all my angst, frustration, and loneliness into this journal. As I reread parts of it, I was mortified at my utter dislike of my siblings, I couldn't stop laughing over some lists I wrote, and I was brought back in time to my 11 to 15 year-old self. First entry: December 24, 2002. Final entry: July 18, 2006.
My second journal. At this point in my life, I separated my notes for church and my journal. This was one I took to church and Bible studies. First entry: November 11, 2005. Final entry: February 18, 2007.
My third journal. This journal contains the study we girls had to do for the parents circa 2005-2006. I wrote very short journal entries in this one, and I wrote down the time lapse which occurred as I was writing my entries. This also details the nine months that Pappy and Grandma lived with us. First entry: June 21, 2006. Final entry: December 19, 2006.
My fourth journal. This journal I received from Susie Ferris for my 8th grade graduation. As I reread this journal, I noticed my changing relationship with my siblings, my references to UAPD, and what I was struggling with. The tone of my writing is less childish. First entry: December 26, 2006. Final entry: January 7, 2008.
My fifth journal. This holds notes from church. I didn't like this notebook very much, so I wrote in about one-third of it before abandoning it. First entry: February 25, 2007. Final entry: June 12, 2007.
My sixth journal. This holds notes from church. It also records when I took my first missions trip with the youth group to Ladysmith, WI. First entry: June 17, 2007. Final entry: April 13, 2008.
My seventh journal. I loved the ribbons on the journal and the green pages. This journal holds the thoughts on one of my first serious crushes, my first genuine friendship, my continuing deepening relationship with my siblings, and my final high school years which included a break down over my ACT score and RuthAnn's encouragement and President Obama's election and inauguration. I loved seeing how I changed my attitude toward my siblings. Rereading my journals always reminds me how much they shaped, molded, and raised me (the majority was for the best). Without my siblings input and guidance, I'm positive I would be completely hopeless. First entry: January 8, 2008. Final entry: April 30, 2009.
My eighth journal. Notes for church. First entry: April 13, 2008. Final entry: May 24, 2009.
And with my eighth journal, I'm halfway through my journals which will wrap up Part 1 of my journal walk down memory lane.
My first journal. This was a Christmas gift from Nathan and the journal which started it all. I poured all my angst, frustration, and loneliness into this journal. As I reread parts of it, I was mortified at my utter dislike of my siblings, I couldn't stop laughing over some lists I wrote, and I was brought back in time to my 11 to 15 year-old self. First entry: December 24, 2002. Final entry: July 18, 2006.
My second journal. At this point in my life, I separated my notes for church and my journal. This was one I took to church and Bible studies. First entry: November 11, 2005. Final entry: February 18, 2007.
My third journal. This journal contains the study we girls had to do for the parents circa 2005-2006. I wrote very short journal entries in this one, and I wrote down the time lapse which occurred as I was writing my entries. This also details the nine months that Pappy and Grandma lived with us. First entry: June 21, 2006. Final entry: December 19, 2006.
My fourth journal. This journal I received from Susie Ferris for my 8th grade graduation. As I reread this journal, I noticed my changing relationship with my siblings, my references to UAPD, and what I was struggling with. The tone of my writing is less childish. First entry: December 26, 2006. Final entry: January 7, 2008.
My fifth journal. This holds notes from church. I didn't like this notebook very much, so I wrote in about one-third of it before abandoning it. First entry: February 25, 2007. Final entry: June 12, 2007.
My sixth journal. This holds notes from church. It also records when I took my first missions trip with the youth group to Ladysmith, WI. First entry: June 17, 2007. Final entry: April 13, 2008.
My seventh journal. I loved the ribbons on the journal and the green pages. This journal holds the thoughts on one of my first serious crushes, my first genuine friendship, my continuing deepening relationship with my siblings, and my final high school years which included a break down over my ACT score and RuthAnn's encouragement and President Obama's election and inauguration. I loved seeing how I changed my attitude toward my siblings. Rereading my journals always reminds me how much they shaped, molded, and raised me (the majority was for the best). Without my siblings input and guidance, I'm positive I would be completely hopeless. First entry: January 8, 2008. Final entry: April 30, 2009.
My eighth journal. Notes for church. First entry: April 13, 2008. Final entry: May 24, 2009.
And with my eighth journal, I'm halfway through my journals which will wrap up Part 1 of my journal walk down memory lane.
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