Unpredictable Weather

After living in Boone for five years, I immediately adjusted to the changing weather. We always said you did not like the weather, just stay for five minutes because it would quickly change. I am grateful for making an easy transition between seasons because the last few weeks have reminded me of Katy Perry's song, "You're hot, then you're cold..." At the beginning of this week, we had recess outdoors with the beautiful sunshine and some kids even wore shorts. Yesterday, we were bundled up in our jackets and rain gear. Even though it has been difficult for me to find the appropriate outfit, we must must adjust to these constant, unpredictable weather changes.

This weather is comparable to the continuous recent adjustments in education. Most educators consider themselves fortunate because our profession will always be needed, no matter the situation of the economy. Right? This concept became somewhat questionable with the budget cuts across the state's education system when large school districts recently let go of hundreds of teachres. I feel that it is essential to stay informed with recent educational trends, so I have become very concerned about the budget in education. We have even discussed this in class as we have talked about the challenges that Barack Obama is facing. I became amazed when Wake County, one of the nation's strongest school system, had to make the difficult decision to cut teachers this week. It is now clear that our future teachers also need to be thinking about this concern.

Future teachers...have become my passion, especially after traveling across this state speaking to this specific group of educators. One of my goals is to inspire the youth of our profession because they will eventually become the teacher leaders. I an remember my own beginning teacher preparation and the component that affected my overall attitude towards this career. I think the key factor for preparing me as a teacher was observing other teachers and sitting in a classroom. Some teachers would encourage me by reminding me that this was the most rewarding profession, and then there were others who tried to convince me that "this job" wasn't worth it!

This past week was spring break for various colleges and universities, so I enjoyed visits from two prospective teachers. The students and I are always excited to have these young people in our classroom because we get to share our eagerness to learn along with our regular routines of a school day. The young man who visited our class on Tuesday is actually the son of my mom's work supervisor, and I have watched him grow up from a little 5-year old to a responsible young gentleman. Nathan is a sophomore at Sandhills Community College trying to make that "final decision" before attempting the next step of his academic journey. He remained uncertain if he wanted to pursue a career in education, and specifically what grade level he wanted to teach. Therefore, he was able to visit my sister's high school English classroom at West Montgomery during the morning hours and concluded his afternoon with my fifth graders at Page Street. Of course he was more popular than a rock star in my classroom with kids shooting questions from every angle. Where did you go to school? Why do you want to be a teacher? Are you married? How old are you? We all laughed when Aaron (who sits on the front row) said that our class enjoyed playing twenty questions. Nathan was able to observe our reading rotations for the last two hours of the day along with Memorie sharing our class memories through photo albums from the previous year. I also showed him my elaborate lesson plans for every subject, including four separate lessons just for reading. i think this became an eye opening experience regarding elementary school because we are required to teach everything. I always laugh when Cindi Rigsbee speaks to groups of educators and admits that she could never teach elementary school because we keep the kids all day, the kids are always thinking of something else rather than the subject we are teaching, and we teach all subject areas. I tell Cindi that is why I teach this grade level while I admire middle school educators! After speaking with Nathan about my job, I hope he left open-minded and encourage to pursue a career in education.

The other visitor last week really isn't considered a visitor since she was former intern two years ago, "Miss Dawn." It is always a delight to have her visit because she is not only one of my mentees, she has become basically another sister and friend. Dawn is the reflection of myself...it is ironic how she continues to follow my path during the different stages in life. I encouraged her during her junior year of high school to attend Governor's School and as myself, she loved every minute of that life changing summer. I assisted her with the Teaching Fellows Scholarship process and even took her to ASU for Open House. She decided also wanted to become a Mountaineer! I was delighted to have received an Appalachian Alumni Christmas Card this past year from the Chancellor and immediately noticed Dawn's picture on the front standing in front of the breaking group for the new Reich College of Education. She is in a leadership role for the NC Teaching Fellows and she even works in the Dean's Office---the same job I maintained throughout my entire college career. I am extremely proud of Dawn's accomplishments and there is no doubt she will continue to amaze me as she finishes her college preparation and into her own elementary classroom.

As the economy remains unpredictable, along with the educational realm, I know the rain will cease when promising future teachers will positively impact the profession by bringing hope and change. Thanks to Dawn and Nathan for reminding me the sun will come out tomorrow.