Lately

So I started teaching at the high school and am really enjoying it. Right now I teach 6 Intro to Art classes with the hopes in the future of including a graphic design curriculum in the future as well as teach photography. New teacher gets the least desirable classes at first. That's fine, because all my experience teaching besides public school has been basically "intro to art", and I love to teach kids techniques they have never seen before, or even just teach them the HOW TO DRAW! I am at a school that is a challenge, but I think I really do live for challenges! A lot of these kids haven't taken art since 5th grade, and I consider it my job to rope them in, and get them to be an appreciater of the arts as well. We have gangs at my school that threaten gang wars at each other, we have kids that are repeating their 4th year of freshman year and are 19. I grew up in an urban school, but not this urban. It's eye-opening. At this point, I would say I'd rather be in this environment than a rich school. I have learned so much from these kids already, and I think they are learning from me too--not just art. I have been teaching them about respect, social skills, vocation in art....sometimes skills they have never been taught. I encourage an environment of fun, laughter, interaction, sarcasm, but everyone works too. I know I have a different approach, but it works for me, and I come home the least stressed I ever have from a job. Because I truely feel I am making a difference. The school is newly renovated, only 5 years old, so we have really nice facilities. Every room has a projector mounted on ceiling, every teacher gets a laptop. The only thing is, there are 3 classrooms, 4 teachers, so I teach in every classroom while that particular teacher takes their prepping period. I have my own office instead of a desk in the classroom. I kinda like that better. I am curious to see how this year unfolds, but in the meantime, I am stoked I took time off to get my Masters and make a career change-I am too young to feel trapped and bitter about my job.




On a side note, I hurt my foot about a month ago. I have been seeing specialists and I have been diagnosed with my muscle on the top of my foot being torn--to the point off my bone. They say at least 4 months to recover, but I will do my best to be up and running a lot quicker than that. It's been eye-opening being a teacher where you have to be on your feet all day, and all the pain that it causes. The more I am on it, the more it can't heal because scar tissue cannot form. I try to sit when I can, and have the kids do more of the running around the class. Appreciate your feet, appreciate being able to run and long walks, because I for sure took that for granted. All from a guy stepping on my foot at kickball with cleats on. Darn him...