I chronicled the 2016-17 school year by writing a blogpost on the 24th day of each month. I also wrote about a few other standout days, like the first day of school. Each post in the series provides a breakdown of my day and sheds light on what it would have been like to walk in my shoes. This series was part of Tina Cardone’s Day in the Life book project (I’m not sure if the book ever happened).
My other serial posts can be found here.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016 (Post #1)
First Day of School for Teachers
Today I spoke with a veteran teacher who joined the school last year. He and I were both reminded just how much of a risk we by leaving everything to reestablish ourselves in another school community.
Thursday, September 8, 2016 (Post #2)
First Day of Classes
Being a teacher means being always on from the moment you walk into the building. Not even lunch is sacred. It comes with the territory.
Saturday, September 24, 2016 (Post #3)
In trying to connect with students, colleagues, and parents, I have realized how challenging this really is when starting from square one. I didn’t fully understand how my reputation and history played a role in my success as a teacher at my previous school.
Monday, October 24, 2016 (Post #4)
My days this year have been so long…and grueling. I don’t think I’ve had days this taxing since my first year of teaching. Seriously. I find myself constantly planning to keep my head above water and my classroom routines are essentially nonexistent.
Thursday, November 24, 2016 (Post #5)
I’m beginning to get used to working on an island. This is sad to me. For years, I was so accustomed to feeding off of the energy from my department. There seems to be no time for any of that anymore.
Saturday, December 24, 2016 (Post #6)
My princpal enthusiastically invited me to take more risks, to stop worrying so much. That if something goes awry, he would take the blame. His bottom line was his trust in me and my choices…just don’t overthink them.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017 (Post #7)
After a taxing first semester, I welcome the second semester with open arms. I feel that I’m in a much, much better mental space now than I was in for basically all of semester one.
Friday, February 24, 2017 (Post #8)
To close the first semester at the beginning of this month, I had my students complete a “report card” for my teaching. I asked many questions and there were different trends in every class, but one commonality was their dissatisfaction with how I pace the course.
Friday, March 24, 2017 (Post #9)
Something really cool happened today. During the conferences, a brother of one of my students noticed my Mathematicians Beyond White Dudes posters and pulled out his phone to snap a photo of them. We talked a little bit about the motivation behind the project. He sincerely appreciated the fact that I was showcasing underrepresented mathematicians.
Monday, April 24, 2017 (Post #10)
I’ve discovered a place for VNPS and VRG in my classroom this past month. My recent experiences with them have changed my classroom forever.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017 (Post #11)
This month, I had a powerful moment with a colleague about a t-shirt that she wore to school. The entire situation was off-putting, but through it, I learned so much about myself and my school about we address race and representation with colleagues and our students.
Friday, June 16, 2017 (Post #12)
Algebra 2 Regents Exam
As the year comes to a close, I’ve struggled with feeling rooted in my school. I hoped that by this time, I would feel some sort of genuine connection to my new home, but that hasn’t really happened.