A teacher is....

Everyday I wondered in my life just who I would become. A teacher was never on my scope of possibilities. A blogger was even further down the line, until I realized the power of my thoughts, creativity, and most of all -- words. I never dreamed that teaching was a possibility; I was never --still am not -- a good writer, speller, etc. That thought existed until I met math, and was subsequently in my masters program forced to learn what I had never been taught -- spelling, phonics, and grammar rules.

This is the proverbial blah blah blah that starts every blog as an introduction. The boring "Hi this is me and get engaged" statement, that I always find boring. Bear with me...

Teaching has always been fascinating to me. Kids, mostly a mystery. The combination of a demanding curriculum paired with students seemed daunting, yet very enticing -- who doesn't like a challenge? Plus, I was not one to ever relent. So I joined the rat race. Seems like I joined the army. When I started, I tried teaching to multiple different venues, like a comedian testing different jokes with different audiences. Like comedians, I, too, struggled to find where I was ready to perform--- or, teach. I tested the waters from northeast rural territories, to NC rural, to suburban northeast, all the way to upscale urban northeast, to where I am -- a charter school for special needs kids.

It's interesting in light of the significant differences in the country (socially, morally, linguistically) and the significant differences in landscapes in which I traveled to teach, the kids all had the same features. Like certain toys -- the kids lived in different areas where the ideals differed, but they still were mostly similar. Riddled with amusing phrases -- logical and illogical -- clever come backs, the attitude, and the relative frame of knowledge (and innocence) that all kids hold. Point being? I met a lot of interesting, and certainly life-changing, students in a short amount of time in my life. These students held many similarities, gave me similar responses, and over anything else gave me reason for carrying on.

As inspiring as my story sounds, my life is filled with humor from these students. In fact, if you're a teacher and you have not laughed, at least internally at kids and their musings or made a fool of yourself by accident, there is something wrong in the classroom. Now for the end of my introduction to myself and the blog, this blog will be riddled with "funnies" from classes that I experience or have experienced. Since the confidentiality of my students and school are important to me, my name, kids names, and locations will be changed.... if mentioned. Enjoy