New Beginnings and Transitioning Lenses

Guess What? 

My hat is changing. I am moving from 6th grade Special Education position in one district to a K-5 Reading Specialist in another.

Goodbye BSD100, Hello WEGO33.

Lots of feelings there. I am really going to miss middle school and SPED. Ahh, such a soft spot for them. Let alone my co-workers. Yet, I am REALLY excited to get back to elementary school AND Reading. I am also going from a 1:1 district to a district that only has school-wide wifi in one building...and it's not mine! They also don't use Twitter...yet anyway AHHHHHH!  It's like tug-o-war with my heart! Can't I do and have it all?

It's a great opportunity to add another Lens to my arsenal. Being able to see and approach situations from a perspective of a reading specialist as opposed to a classroom or special education teacher will be interesting, yet, being able to work as a different piece of the puzzle is exiting.  It will be a transition, but, New Year, New Hat, New Lens!

I saw my new room today. I have been in a new room each of my three years of teaching and each year I get so much anxiety about how I can make this a perfect space for my students. Right now I kind of think my reading room looks too much like a closet. I want my students to think of their small group reading time as an oasis that they look forward to entering! I know I'll figure it out and it'll be awesome...but AHHH! With some teachers, everything they touch turns cute in a snap! For me, it takes trial, error and EFFORT!

Routines are so important

What am I most worried about now? Scheduling? Benchmarking? Interventions? Curriculum? Student growth? Yes...but more-so those same things our kiddos are.  Most of these things revolve around daily routines. Who will be my (teacher) friends? Will people like me? What is my schedule? When is lunch? What do I need to do to succeed?...or maybe the student would ask what do I need to do for the teacher to like me or not get in trouble? Why do we crave these routines? Safety?

I want to be the expert and specialist, I want to take the year on running, doing great and amazing things surpassing anyone's expectations....yet it's hard because I need to figure out the day-to-day routine and expectations first! Patience, I know!

 I am teaching in a dual-language school. The goal is for all students to achieve bilingualism. I took this as my cue to try and learn Spanish a bit better. I took Spanish  in 6-8th grades, Freshman and Sophomore year ( I quit so I could take Cooking and AP Environmental Science) and had to take two semesters worth again in college.  Yes, hindsight is 20/20. I have been using the app Duolingo and so far so good! One week down and I think I can keep it up! ?

In trying to rectify the fact that I never learned a foreign language, I once told myself that I would learn a foreign language for real if my significant other spoke one. Silly me. Well it turns out my future fiancé does. Thus, I have a goal to learn American Sign Language too. My boyfriend has parents who are Deaf and he learned to sign before he learned how to speak, so I might as well try and get serious. But...I'm still looking for an app or way to learn or practice...duolingo needs ASL! I hope I don't read this post in a few months and become disappointed with myself!

T minus 9 school days until kiddos arrive. Next week.. Beverly Tyner Small Group Reading Training. Get Ready!