To The Teacher Who Just Graduated…

WOW. It seems like a lifetime ago that I walked the stage and graduated from college.

I remember thinking. “Ok, so what now?”

At the time, I lived with a friend and she had so many interviews and job offers.

And there I was, sending in my resume and application for the fourth time that day.

“What am I doing wrong?”

“How come I am not getting TONS of interviews? We pretty much have the same resume!”

I spent the whole summer searching for jobs and going to interviews.

But, I didn’t see myself there. Sure, the people were nice and the school was great.

But, I didn’t fit there. It didn’t feel like home.

I remember walking into a school. NERVOUS. But, I felt like I belonged there.

The interview, to my knowledge, went great. I was about to leave when one of the interviewers ran to my car to remind me that I needed to get the number of my mentor ASAP.

I did.  Little did I know, I would be receiving a call that I would be working there.

Now, not all things work out that way. Sometimes, you work somewhere and it doesn’t feel like home. Sometimes, you don’t get your dream job. Sometimes, you get your dream job wayyyy further than you expected. (I was hired mid-July!)

I have some words of advice to any teachers who just graduated:

1. Find a place that reflects you as an individual and as a professional

When I was looking for jobs, I was thinking about the future. I thought about where I wanted to live and where I wanted to be in 5+ years. I also thought about what was my “philosophy” as an educator and found a place that helps me build that.

1. a.) If there is a teacher shortage, find a job first, and do part 1 next.

When I graduated, there were a TON of jobs in the area. There were also a lot of graduates who just graduated with the same degree searching for those same jobs. Which means lots of competition. If jobs are scarce, find a job. After that, you can decide if you need to go back to part 1.

2. Target dollar spot is your friend but also your enemy.

YES. I KNOW. They have the cutest stuff and it’s only a dollar. A lot of the stuff in the dollar spot is useful in the classroom. Notecards, some manipulatives such as mini erasers, cute knickknacks for your desk, and table bins. Other than that, pass. You can save your money and spend it on heavier duty stuff that will last you a lot longer.

3. Reach out for help

When I first graduated and I was looking for jobs, I had NO clue where to begin. I reached out to several teachers in the area that I knew to observe their class. I also asked several people that were already teachers to give me their best advice. It really helped to get advice before starting in my own classroom so I could try different things once the school year started.

4. Make a teacher Instagram or social media account. (Or just follow other teachers)

At the end of my first year, I dove into the “teacher Instagram” world. Did I expect to get anything out of it? Nope. Over the years, I have connected and followed TONS of fellow educators and TPT creators who give amazing advice and resources. I am also able to give other teachers advice and resources!

*If you do create a teacher Instagram (or any social media) account, PLEASE do not put your student’s pictures on there EVEN if you get permission.  Just don’t. So many violations, not enough time to name them all*

5. Enjoy your first year

I call the first year of teaching “The Experimental Year” because you get to try all the things out that you like and get real live feedback! Yes, that classroom management plan looks amazing on paper, but does it work? Take the summer before to write down all the ideas you like and try them out! You’ll never know what works and what doesn’t work unless you try it.

*Disclaimer: Each year is DIFFERENT. Just because something works one year, doesn’t mean it will work forever. I’ve used SEVERAL behavior management tools alongside my main one. If something isn’t working for a particular group of students, you always tweak it until it works. That’s education. Forever changing.*

Finally, be proud of yourself. You decided to become a world changer. Not because of money and fame. (lol, sometimes I do feel like a celebrity though) You decided to be an educator because you wanted to make a difference in students’ lives. No matter where you go or where you end up, never forget that! You will make a difference no matter what classroom you are in.

Now, go rock that, probably virtual, interview!  🙂

 

-Ms. Hilburn

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Remote Learning is Not a Vacation For Teachers

*blows dust off blog*

Hello Everyone,

I know it has been a while but I’ve had something tugging at my heartstrings lately: Remote Learning.

On Sunday, March 15th at 6 p.m., I was out to dinner with my family when I received news from our Governor that we would be out of school and completing virtual learning until the end of March. (This was extended later until the end of April and we are still waiting to see for the rest of the school year.) Edit: We are not going back to school until August….maybe. 

Although we had gathered materials as a school and got the ball rolling for online learning, we still jumped into uncharted territories. So many questions flew threw my mind:

“What will the kids be learning?”

“How long will this last?”

“Will we ever return to the classroom?”

That Friday when the students were leaving school, it was business as usual. I give each student a hug, high five or “pound it”, I tell them to “Stay safe, have a great weekend, see yah Monday!” Little did I know that Monday would never come and that would be the last time I would see those students for a while…

If you know me or if you have worked with me, you know my students are my “kids”. I call them my kids and I treat them as if they are my biological children. I spend 110% of my time in the classroom creating a bond, an understanding, and a relationship with these students. I create a classroom that is a safe space where they can be themselves.

Remote learning is not a vacation for me. It’s a heartbreak.

I wake up every day and I am excited to see “my kids”. If you think about it, during the school year I spend more time a week with them then they do their actual parents. Over the school year, we become a family.

Remote learning is NOT a vacation for me. It’s a heartbreak.

In the classroom, its business as usual. It’s our home and we have the same schedule every day. (Except when I forget about fire drills. Oops.) We can look at each other and know if it’s a bad day, a good day, or if we just need a hug. It’s because we are a family.

Remote learning is NOT a vacation for me. It’s a heartbreak.

Some days, it’s nice. I can get up and drink my coffee before it’s cold. I can catch up on hobbies I’ve put on hold because I’m too busy Monday-Friday and weekends are catch-up days. But, I worry about my students every minute of every day. I worry that they aren’t learning enough. I worry that I am not doing enough.

Remote learning is NOT a vacation for me. It’s a heartbreak.

In the end, I know this all happened for a reason. I know there is a bigger plan. But, it’s hard to see the positives so let me point a few out for you:

• All of my students are healthy and safe
• They are able to spend more time with their families that they didn’t have before
• I am healthy and safe (!!)
• I can still see them, it’s just different
• I can still reach them with the help of technology.
• This too shall end

I sent a thank you letter to my parents last week thanking them for stepping up during this uncertain time. I thanked them for working with me through this whole process. I reminded them that yes, virtual learning IS important, but cherish this time. Students learn in all sorts of ways: cooking, playing, games, investigation, etc.

If you aren’t a teacher, message a teacher and give them praise. A simple ” You are doing an awesome job! Keep up the great work.” will go further than you know.

If you are a teacher, I encourage you to message your parents and tell them ” You are doing an awesome job! Keep up the great work.”

Until next time,

Ms. Hilburn