Tag: teacherlife

Why do I teach?

Installment #12

I teach for the stories.

Now, this isn’t like Installment #9–this is not a nod or a reference to the stories I get to read; this is about the stories I get to live . . . because some of them are hilarious.

Remember “kids say the darnest things”? Yeah, there’s a reason for that saying — kids are hilarious, and blunt. Kids not only say the darnest things, they do the darnest things. And while there are times where I, as the teacher, have been at a lost for words–absolutely confounded; I, nevertheless, get to go to parties, dinners, any sort of get-together, with some of the best, most outlandish, stories.

  • Ever had a kid tell you a little too much about their parents’ . . . relationship?
  • Ever had a kid tell you exactly what their older brother or sister was doing . . . and probably didn’t want anyone to know exactly what they were doing?
  • Ever had a kid tell you how you look today . . . brutally tell you how you look?

I have–all of it and more–and they are among my best memories, and my favorite stories to share with everyone πŸ€—πŸ˜…

πŸ€—πŸ˜… I teach for the stories πŸ€—πŸ˜…

Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash

2023: Resolutions

The 2022 calendar year sort of ran away from me in terms of my educational profile and work.

I continued to expand my resume, learning, and teaching outside of the traditional classroom (webinars/professional development, DEI/DEIB advocacy through my social media platform).

I reignited my love and passion for writing and editing. I wrote on a variety of platforms for pleasure and practice. I provided editing services and/or coached students through the writing process–mainly the writing process for admission essays and dissertations; yes, opposite ends of the university experience!

I entered a new educational space (city/community programming), which challenged my pre-existing notion of learning, and planning for learning.

Life continued as planned. Life sent me to old goals and passions. Life provided me with new ideas and passions. It was a good mix, but it was a lot of change and flux that took me out of this space specifically . . .

Given this mix, a mix I have finally learned how to navigate and balance more appropriately, I am taking the opportunity afforded to us all at the start of the calendar year, and the midpoint of the academic year to all educators, to write a few goals tied to my 2022 experience.

This 2023 I plan to:

  • Make a schedule, and stick to it, for writing here on C is for Camacho
  • Renew all education licenses
    • Already renewed one at the end of 2022!
  • Attend an educational conference
    • Any suggestions?
  • Take one class or training on a subject, methodology, or technology tool that has interested me the past year
    • Any platform recommendations?
  • Continue to expand my educational profile/resume

And so begins the 2023 calendar year, the rest of my school year . . . with reflection, with a little bit of the old and the new, with focused energy on continued growth and development.

Photo by Jazmin Quaynor on Unsplash

Monthly Advice–March 2022

It may be too soon for some, but hiring season for the start of next school year (August 2022/September 2022) is here.

My advice for this month: think about next year, now.

Whether you decide to stay at your school, your school network/charter/district, or the profession altogether is a conversation and critical conversation at that.

I think staying at a school is arguably easiest. The routine, community, expectations are known. Moving classrooms or grade levels can be done in a day, maybe two. It is arguably the safest route–safest in the sense of the known, the continuity of it all.

The hardest, without a doubt, is leaving the profession altogether–and this is a relatively recent choice, conversation, and common-enough occurrence of late to be a much more serious option for a lot more people.

Wherever you land on the spectrum of what to do, or what you’re considering, it’s time to think about next year . . . now.

Talk to colleagues, look at your contract papers/letters of intent, discuss it with family and/or friends, do what’s best for you and make a plan for next year . . .

Photo by Isabela Kronemberger on Unsplash

Summer time . . . New Year, New Job

I have done my best to post here and there through the summer because August and September start a really big chapter in my teaching career: new school, new location, new life!

I am starting a long-held personal and professional goal: to work abroad/to teach abroad.

I am moving from California, USA to Turkey. I will be going back in the classroom, back in kindergarten–where my career began–but in a whole new country! I am allowing myself some time away from writing to enjoy the remainder of my break, and to allow myself the necessary time to transition into this new world and chapter of my life; I will be back in mid-to-late September with new content–really new, as I imagine this experience will give me a whole lot of learning to write about!

Until then–gΓΆrüşürΓΌz (see you)!

Summer Learning!

A repeat of all my work this past year–replete with additions, updates, and clarifications based on my initial presentation(s) and feedback. It’s been quite the July — and I still have a certification series to go!

Already presented (and available on-demand):

A series to go:

These webinars have served as a tremendous opportunity for growth. I have had to review what is most important to my work and research for every topic. I have had to play with technology and visual organization. I have had to rehearse definitions, arguments, concepts, frameworks, and possible Q & A. I feel more and more prepared, more and more inspired with each presentation–and I hope you can join me! Sign-up, and/or share this opportunity with a friend!

Can’t join? Not really something you can share now? Then provide me with added ideas as I move forward and keep presenting πŸ˜πŸ€—