School Year in Review: My first year of teaching

All of the college courses in the world cannot prepare you for your first year of teaching.  Especially in the inner-city.  This year has been a roller coaster, but I am a stronger person for it. At the beginning of the school year, I was a hopeful substitute in schools where I was comfortable.  I knew other teachers, I fit in.  In November, I picked up that comfortable life and moved to Memphis.  Not only has it been a culture shock, but its been the biggest learning experience of my entire life.  I figured I would share some of the biggest things that I have learned, and things I wish I had known before I got here.

Patience. 
We all know that teachers need patience, but this cannot be said enough.  In my first year of teaching, students cussed me out, told me every insult in the books, refused to follow instruction and any other nightmarish thing you can imagine.  Students have knocked each other out, stolen my cell phone, hidden things around the room, written graffiti on my walls, anything you can imagine.  As a first year teacher, life is hell.  I had no curriculum, my classes were scheduled incorrectly, my room was raided and I found out on my first day I would actually be at 2 schools.  No one taught me how to enter grades, write students up or anything.  Patience.  It takes mountains of patience to make it through your first year.  Nothing goes as you plan, and it takes Patience.

Flexibility.
As I said previously, when I walked in to my first day of school, after being heckled by all the students ("I know this white girl ain't a new student up in here!"), I was told I was in the wrong place.  "But my contract says to be here?"  Oh, they don't know we're splitting you with the middle school.  It was just the first day and I was already upside down.  Class rosters?  Nope.  Course descriptions? Nope.  Students for the first few days? Nope.  Flexibility.  The week before a presentation and someone steals the sound equipment.  Flexibility.  No one told you that you are chaperoning prom?  Flexibility.

Strength.
In all of your college courses they tell you not to get angry, just love the students, get to know them and teach to the standards.  So not true in real life.  Sometimes you've got to yell.  Sometimes you've got to "show out" to show them you can deal with them.  And standards?  In your first year, standards are the last thing you should be worried about.  Be strong.  Have strength and you will power through. Strength.


Now here are some things I wish they had told me before my interview.  You've got to know what questions to ask.  Don't get so desperate for a job that you just take the first one you're offered because you could end up like I did, at a school where you don't fit in.  Make sure you know what the atmosphere of the school is, and not just between the students but between administrators and faculty.  Ask about administrative changes that may have happened recently or are about to happen.  I came in to a school that was in a bad administrative change and merging with another school district.  Not an ideal situation.  Ask about community support.  Ask about extracurriculars. Ask to see curriculum maps for the courses you are expected to teach.  Ask about unions.  Ask about benefits.  Ask about orientations.  Ask if you are replacing a teacher, and how long ago that teacher left and why they left.  Ask if you are going to have a mentor teacher.  As if there are resources available if you need extra help.  I didn't, and I got shafted.


How I managed to get through an 850 mile move all alone, a terrible year of teaching in the inner-city is beyond me.  The biggest lesson I learned is to know when to get help.  After spending weeks severely depressed, I sought help and it changed my whole experience.  Then I got back into exercise and healthy eating and my life is completely changed.  Teaching is still hard, but life is good.

Monday Memo

Memphis City Schools likes to put out "Monday Memos" to all the teachers, so I am going to start putting them out occasionally to my readers.

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week.  Hug a teacher.  I got a free lunch.  I think back to hearing myself saying "I can't have that, or that, and definitely not the chips," and I'm thinking why not?  Why can't I have that one bag of chips?  It's not going to kill me.  It's not going to make me fat.  I work out every day and I eat healthy.  I deserve it.   But then later on in the day a student said to me: "Ms. Snyder, you have a muffin top."  Made me work so much harder during my workout.

Speaking of workouts, here's today's motivation:

"Remember, there are things you think you cannot do.  You have no idea how strong you are until you try. Make the effort."

Long time no see... and run.

It has been over a year and a half since I last posted on this blog, but today seems like as good a day as any to bring back the habit. 

Since October of 2011, I have ran 9 more races, including the Pittsburgh Half Marathon.  Let me talk about that one for a minute.  In just a few weeks, it will be the one year anniversary of my running that race, but it feels like I just accomplished that feat.  It was a rough course and I made it to the 10 mile marker without giving up my pace.  That's when the south side hills kicked back.  I admit I had to walk about a mile before I could give it my last stitch effort, but I am not ashamed.  People were still cheering me on.  It was still a victory.  I finished at just over 3 hours and it was a downhill sprint to the point.  It was the most moving experience I have ever had.

Here's some pictures of my favorite points in the race:

Amazing views.  Such a beautiful city.

And here was the result:

 Yeah.  That's me.  I went from 250lbs to 180 after the race.  If that's not victory, I don't know what is.


This is where my life took a big swing.

The summer after the race, I maintained weight, and served my final months as an AmeriCorps member.  It was bittersweet.  I was happy to be done with my term of service, but I had no idea what lie ahead.  I put hundreds of resumes out, to no avail.  For the first 2 months of the school year, I substitute taught.  Then the dirt started flying.  I was offered 2 jobs within about a month of each other.  One at the high school where my parents went, and one in downtown Memphis, TN.   Guess which one I chose.   The adventurous side of me has taken over, and now I am the Band and Choir Director at one of the most "infamous" high schools in Memphis.  It's been a HUGE struggle, but has made me realize just how strong I am.

I was so afraid of getting mugged, that I had a hard time meeting people at first.  I joined the Southaven Wind Symphony and the Memphis Symphony Chorus, which have been awesome experiences (but that's for another blog).  But it was joining the Memphis Runners Track Club that is making the big impact right now.

In January, I ran the Winter Cross Country series, and basically didn't train (which was a very bad idea).  It was a 3K, a 5K, an 8K and a 10K.  I may not have trained, but I finished strong. 

The series helped me get my weight down to it's current all-time low of 165lbs.  Woo!  More victories!

Fast forward to today.   Its TCAP testing time, which mean the arts teachers get extra prep time (again, bittersweet), so I've had time to plan my next adventure: the Summer/Fall Road Race series!  Two 5ks, two 5 milers, two 10ks, two 10 milers and 2 half marathons.  Its going to take a lot of training, but it can and will be done.  Oh, and I might throw the St. Jude Half Marathon in there at the end.  Lots of motivation!

That's my update.  I am going to use this blog as a progress journal.  Hopefully someone finds it inspiring.  That's what I hope to be.

New Chapter

I haven't posted in a week for a couple of reasons. Last week I had training camp for my new job, that requires us to be first aid, CPR, aed, and cert certified, so they took us to a camp and trained us for three days. It was like summer camp, only full of adults. I got to do a little bit of trail hiking while there, but no running.

Saturday I reached a new distance milestone, 4 miles! It was such a great feeling of accomplishment. I know I can do this. It is going to happen. I've noticed it also helps to tell people about what I'm doing, even people I don't really know. It helps keep me focused on my journey ahead, and gives me a network of people for support. You never know who has good advice to give either.

So, new job started today. I'll be teaching a small group of at-risk teens. So far it looks like I'll be teaching History and/or English. I'm hoping I can include some music with these subjects. Maybe start with American poetry and jazz, including some American history and politics in that. We'll see where this goes.