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Saturday, November 17, 2012

Toured MY School!!

So, yesterday I got to meet with my principal to discuss my upcoming year!

In our meeting I got to have a few questions answered (I get to start in my classroom on December 10th officially), got to meet a good portion of the staff I'll be working with, and got a tour of the campus.

Let me just say, when I walked into what will now be MY CLASSROOM, It is HUGE!
I seriously cannot wait to get in there and start making it my own.
My classroom currently has a Long Term Substitute that has been proving my students with their special education services. 

That being said, a substitute isn't likely to create anchor charts and decorate the room when it's not a place she will be staying in permanently. So the wall are BARE. This can be condusive to learning for some students in special education, but I'm really hoping my students are down for some decor...because bare, white, brick walls just isn't doing it for me!

Now they are super excited for me to be coming in so the students have more stability with their teacher! I met the sub and she seems fabulous, but she and I have a ton to catch up on in the next few weeks (she already knows these students and I have a ton to catch up on)!

In the coming weeks, hopefully prior to Winter Break, I'll have an opportunity to decorate and upload some pictures of the fabulousness. 
Remember, this is Mrs. D's Diamond...I'm finding my diamonds in the rough...so that will be my overall theme and it's going to ROCK!!! :)


Saturday, November 3, 2012

Student Teaching...iTeachAZ

So over the past year, I have been part of an AMAZING program through Arizona State University. Sure there have been trials and tribulations, as there are with anything good in life, but I have grown!

Without this amazing new iTeachAZ program, I would not be the teacher I am today. While I am still feeling my way through this learning experience, each day, I am learning so many valuable lessons that many first year teachers cannot even dream of.

I am happy to say I have had many teaching opportunities presented to me! 

Had you asked me at the beginning of this semester where I thought I would be in December, I would have said a 3-5th grade general education classroom. Since I'm Dual Certified in Elementary and Special Education, I have my choice of the two, and general ed was where I believed I was destined. Having spent my time this semester in the most amazing of placements, my passion now lies elsewhere.

I have ACCEPTED a position in my home district to be a Special Education Resource teacher for 4th and 5th graders. Seriously this is my dream job! It's close to home, it's a Rodel eligible school (which means I will continue to receive benefits of being a Rodel Promising Student teacher...and with student growth have the opportunity, in the future, to be a Rodel Exemplary Teacher), and it's a special education position which is where I have found my calling. No i'm not looking forward to paperwork, but who really likes that anyways? It's part of the job! I'm just excited to be living my dream in a few short weeks and changing students lives!