The first day of school

Most everyone remembers their first day of school. I remember the blue, red, and yellow hand-me-down backpack I had. I remember walking into the class and seeing all the amazing cool stuff! I came from a poor family, a poor but happy family. Our home had just the essentials and that was it. There was nothing in my home as cool as what I saw in this classroom for the very first time. There were rows and rows of books. The walls were all painted with rainbows and animals. There was even several boxes full of toys! There were also other children there, and some of them were crying. I don't even remember saying good bye to my mom but maybe that's because she didn't say good bye, she simply slipped away while I was thumbing through the book shelf. Think back. What do you remember from your first day of school? So tomorrow is the day I go back to that very first day. Tomorrow is my first day of school except this time I'll be sitting on the other side of a desk that only a few brave individuals have ever dared to sit. Tomorrow is my first day of student teaching and I'll be sitting behind the teachers desk. Thirteen years of college and a 20,000 dollar piece of paper certify that I'm qualified to be called a pre-service teacher but the real judges will be the students. If I cannot better their future through a good education than no matter my background, I'm not fit to be a teacher. I feel like I am ready to take that challenge and to make a difference. Tomorrow I will be one step closer to finding out if all my ambition and all my passion is enough to make me an excellent educator. I'm nervous but eager to get started. What will I say to a class full of rambunctious middle school students? They are young at this point in their lives but they are very quick to judge others and themselves. They will be looking at me and wondering a thousand different thoughts. Is she going to be a push over? Will she be very strict? Is she going to be boring? I will be wondering a thousand different thoughts about them! Which students get distracted easily? Which students always arrive to class late? Which students have a learning disability? Education isn't a one size fits all concept. Everyone learns at a different pace and a different way. I believe that at the heart of what makes teaching so difficult is the fact that you can't just teach to a class as a whole, you have to teach to a class as individuals. Tomorrow I take my first steps and they may be slow and steady at first. I may cautiously place one foot in front of the other to get through the day but I hope, that in time, I will need to buy some sneakers because soon I'll be running!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and hopefully you have donated toward my cause and have become one of Jhonny's Angels! With your support, I can make a difference that will benefit us all! Please follow me along on my journey to becoming the world's greatest middle school science teacher ever! Visit http://jhonnysangels.wix.com/jhonnysangels to learn more now!

Me in a nutshell

Had you asked me twenty six years ago what I wanted to be when I grew up I would have told you I wanted to be a ballerina! Teacher was not high on my list. In fact, it wasn't even on my list! So how did I end up here? The teaching profession isn't exactly a "dream job". The pay isn't that great, the hours are long and extend beyond your typical 9-5, and you often bring your work home with you. Your responsible for hundreds of kids, you get a thirty min lunch if your lucky. You have to spend time outside of work planning, writing, and rehearsing lesson plans. You have to schedule meetings with parents, attend workshops and find a sub if you need a sick day. You can't wear jeans unless you pay a fee on a once a year scheduled fundraiser day and you have to be on your feet all day in dress shoes! The list goes on and on. So why would anyone want to be a teacher? What are the benefits of being a teacher? If you even have to ask, then the teacher profession is not for you! Ask any teacher why they do what they do and they will tell you its because of the children. It's all about them. The benefits of being a teacher is having the satisfaction of knowing that you are positively changing the lives of the children that you teach. You are making a difference. And for me, that's benefit enough. So many moments in my life have prepared me for this journey that I am about to embark on. My life story began in a small town, in a tiny house, with a big family. In fact, there were six of us living in a two bedroom one bath house. My father was the only one who worked because it would have been pointless for my mother to work just to pay for daycare! It wasn't too bad. We usually always had food to eat, clothes on our backs, but most importantly, we had love. I have a wonderfully devoted set of parents who were my first teachers. They taught me everything from how to tie my shoe, to how to never give up! It's amazing how much of our character has to be learned. We are not born with personalities. We are given them through the interactions we have with other people. If all we are shown as children is love, compassion, patience and understanding, them we grow to embrace these characteristics and utilize them as adults. If all we are shown as children is hate, fear, pain, and deceit then we grow to embrace those characteristics as adults. I was lucky to have wonderful parents, but not everyone had it that good growing up. What about them? Where do these people experience love, compassion, and patience? In comes those super hero's we call teachers! Children who are not fortunate enough to receive nurture at home receive nurture in school. Here they have access to not only an education but to people who are willing to show them love, compassion, patience, understanding, and a wealth of other positive influences. They will be encouraged to share their feelings and passions and will be able to explore their world and the vast options and opportunities available to them. This is only one reason why teachers are such a vital part our our society. They play such an important role in developing the characters of future generations. Soon it will be my turn. I will set out on my mission to become the world's greatest middle school science teacher ever! But I couldn't have done it alone. Together, we can accomplish great things!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and hopefully you have donated toward my cause and have become one of Jhonny's Angels! With your support, I can make a difference that will benefit us all! Please follow me along on my journey to becoming the world's greatest middle school science teacher ever! Visit http://jhonnysangels.wix.com/jhonnysangels to learn more now!