My Experience So Far

I've thoroughly enjoyed my experience so far. I've met new people, had great opportunities, and encountered some truly amazing students and athletes. I'm not one to harp on what I don't like, so I'll mostly focus on the good things.
  Coaching! This has been by far the most rewarding and enjoyable part of my experience. I coached at Byhalia Middle School last year. I was the Offensive Coordinator for football, and I was the Head Track Coach. This year I coach at Coldwater High School. I am the Special Teams Coordinator for football, Assistant Track Coach, and Assistant Baseball Coach. By evidence of my blog wallpaper, you can see how much I really love coaching. It has allowed me to establish a closeness to my students that you don't particularly get in the classroom. Spending extra time at practices, workouts, games, and meets has been so fun. Coaching also makes the students, even the ones I don't teach, respect me more. It's such an awesome job to have. It's even better here at Coldwater because coaches are valued and respected by the administration. Just about all of my Facebook statuses and Tweets are about coaching. Whether it's weight room updates, score updates, or just letting the world know how hard my kids are working, I love talking about coaching.
   Teaching! I taught 7th grade Reading at Byhalia Middle School last year. Man, I did not have the personality for middle school. I loved the job, but I had to adjust to the middle school mindset. I am happy that I had the chance to do it though. It allowed me to see the building blocks that the students need for high school, which is what I teach now. The best part about having 7th grade reading was being able to really hone in on reading skills all year. We had a very direct focus, and I think our state test results showed that. I, along with Andrea, showed the most growth in the school last year. Take that, Pollard. Nevertheless, I am happy that I teach high school now. I have English 1, English 2, and English 3. Yeah, it's a huge load. I am so excited about the state test though. I know it's a high-stakes test, and I relish the pressure. Pressure makes diamonds, right? I love my kids, and I feel confident that at the very least all of them will pass. That's my goal. The penultimate goal is to have an amazing QDI.
   I've been consumed with teaching and coaching since July of 2010. There isn't much else to really talk about. I know that I've grown as a person. I have learned lessons that I will carry from now on. Moreover, I have met some truly exceptional people that I will never forget. I still have a semester left for my "MTC experience," but my experience as a teacher, coach, or in any other educational capacity is far from over. I am so happy that I decided to be in MTC. It has been a blessing and I absolutely love my job.

DK