More confessions:
My assistant and I eat 90 percent of the candy folks send to our students.
My boyfriend in Ukraine needs to call me almost every morning to wake me up for work.
And on bad days, I cheer up by reading blog comments. As a second-year teacher, there are still a lot of bad days. Luckily, there are a lot of comments.
Below are a few responses to comments. If anyone has any other questions (or comments), please feel free to leave a blog message or write me at teachfornm@gmail.com.
… I’m currently teaching English in Japan, but would like to begin teaching in schools when I return to the US. I have been interested in doing what you’re doing for a couple years. … if you can give me some information on other routes to an [alternative licensure track] in your area I would really appreciate it.
Schools in the Gallup area are always looking for eager teachers. Programs like Teach for America and Peace Corps Fellows are not the only alternative tracks to get into teaching. Teach New Mexico has many resources for people interested in learning more about alternative licensing. I also receive mentoring and financial support from Transition to Teaching and Educator Support Center. For local job openings, check out Gallup-McKinley County Schools and Office of Indian Education Programs.
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I was thrilled to read your entry about the piano lessons. Please keep us updated about this... will you teach the other kids? (as if you don’t have enough to do!) Is there a music program at the school?
I will definitely update more about music soon. We don’t have art or music programs at our school, unfortunately, but the school is in the process of ordering keyboards for the dormitory. I hope to start giving group piano lessons by next month. I have taken up after-school tutoring and graduate school has started again, so that cuts deeply into my music time.
That said, watching “Mervin” calm down and practice on the piano is one of my quickest pick-me-ups. When I was turned down for a job last month, I was in a bum mood and wasn’t feeling up to teaching piano that afternoon. Yet I went. An hour later, I left the dorm beaming and relaxed. I may have been rejected by a job, but I was embraced by a kid who has hardly anything. That puts priorities back in perspective.
I wish you well in your career in special education. This is my 40th year in education, of which 39 has been in special education as teacher and Director of Special Education. I am retiring at the end of this year. Although I still get great pleasure out of my career, I feel the need to turn it over to new young teachers such as yourself. Would you be interested in having your students and my students exchange pen pal letters?
I would love to start pen pals with students at other schools! I teach resource classes, so I don’t have too many students, but I think many children would be interested in having pen pals if I open it up to the whole school. If you’re interested in starting a pen pal exchange with students at my school, please e-mail me at teachfornm@gmail.com.
Anything that your “audience” can do to help or send? I have a few recent news magazines that might be fun or enrichment in a classroom...
As a teacher, I don’t think I’m allowed to refuse free stuff for my kids. The kindness of friends, family and strangers has yielded hundreds, if not thousands, of reading books for my students and the entire school. My next goal is to help build the dormitory library. If you have books, magazines or other materials that you’re interested in giving away, please feel free to e-mail me at teachfornm@gmail.com.
Good job! I was wondering though, how the older Native Americans treated you and thought of you.
I turned 24 yesterday and my Navajo colleagues in the Special Education department threw me a surprise birthday party complete with cake, cards and gifts. When I grinned and told them that this was my first birthday away from family, they scoffed at me. “What are you talking about? This is Dad, this is Mom 1, she’s Mom 2, I’m Mom 3 and she’s Mom 4. We’re your family.”