First Year vs Second Year

Last year was my first year teaching. I teach at a charter school in Washington DC, teaching 9th grade Earth Science. It was a challenging year for many reasons. First, I'm not certified, and I'd taken almost no teaching classes before entering the classroom. My background is in Biology, so last year consisted of a lot of last minute research to make sure I was ahead of my students (Sample research questions: "How old is the universe?" "How do tornadoes form?" "How is obsidian formed?") I felt like I was faking it every day. There were many sleepless nights, panicked lesson plannings, and public failures (more about that later...)

Now that I'm in my second year, I'm able to breathe a little easier. I still work late into the night (my best friend at the school is probably the night facilities manager -- I love him!). And I'm still sometimes stumped by a student question. But I'm finding so much more joy in teaching this year. I've moved past the survival mode.

Some things I've learned from last year:

**I've learned to be myself (or at least a version of myself). Last year I was so involved in being stern and teacher-y, I didn't build the kind of rapport I should have with my students. This year, (most of) the students and I have been able to develop mutual respect for each other, which has made classroom management a heck of a lot easier.

**Labs, labs, labs. Last year, I killed myself creating lots of visuals, demonstrations, and front of the room activities to teach the kids. This year, I've integrated more student centric activities in my class. It's amazing how much the students have enjoyed learning things for themselves rather than hearing it from Ms. M.

**Anything the kids can do themselves, let them do themselves! Grading, leading the do-now / warmup, checking homework, creating packets for absent students, etc., etc. I am giving more responsibility to my students. Not only do they really enjoy having a role in the classroom, I can worry more about the bigger picture and less about the small stuff

**Ask for help. Last year, I stayed in my classroom, stressed and overwhelmed, and nobody knew! I am lucky enough to teach at a school with an amazing support system. This year I have definitely been more vocal about my needs, and it's made so much of a difference.

I still have days when I feel overwhelmed and overworked. But I am always reassured by the thought that I will never have a first year again!

I'm starting this blog to keep a record of the school year. Last year was such a blur, I wish that I had written things down so that I could look back on it now.