3 - 1 = my teaching Math!

I got a phone call from Leanne (one of my two partner teachers) this week. She wanted to let me know that though she had yet to find a new job, she resigned Monday. This means that Paula (my other partner teacher) and I will be a two-way team this coming year, versus the three-way team we were this past year.

So, that means that I will continue to teach science and social studies but will also pick up math. Paula will teach reading, writing and social studies.

I'm actually excited - this is what I was hoping would work out for me. I think Leanne has had a rough experience teaching at Miller and that her moving on to something new will be very good for her. I also think that I'll be a better science teacher because I'll be able to mix in math lessons during science, and visa-versa.

This also means that I will be teaching a "TAKS subject." In Texas, sixth graders take the state standardized test in only reading and math. So there really was no pressure on me last year, since my students weren't being held accountable for my teaching. Though it sounds like the ideal situation, it really made my job as a teacher harder - it's hard to motivate sixth graders to learn for learning's sake. Teaching math will help me motivate my students to perform better. It also means I'll be taken more seriously as an educator.

I'm most excited about science though. This coming year I will be one of three "Science Lead Teachers" for the sixth grade. That means that for all the science teachers on my team (there are 3), I am the default department chair. Basically, it means that I will get to contribute a lot of resources to the teaching of science in the building and will get a say into the writing of the district curriculum.

My principal is adding somewhere from 4-7 new TFA teachers to Miller next year. This is great news because it means more like-minded teachers working at Miller, and hopefully means a changed working atmosphere - less of a "survival" mode and more a "thriving" mode of teaching.

So far, things are looking up for next year.

On the Air

I spent this past week in Philadelphia visiting old friends and enjoying July 4th (Note: pictures are forthcoming). While I was there, I got a call from the national TFA office, asking me to participate in a radio program about TFA.

It seems they got my name from the op-ed I wrote for the Red & Black this past year. The radio program is in Oklahoma and focuses on education issues. TFA is looking to expand to Oklahoma within the next few years. Overall, the radio interview went pretty well and I got to talk about my personal classroom experience.

Here's the link.
(Fast forward to 05:24 to hear the TFA story.)