The Real World

As graduation approached and the crazy(yet incrediblly rewarding)life of being a student teacher came to an end, I began thinking about the next step. I had a lot of questions. Where do I go from here? What do I do next? Naturally, I was excited to graduate. At the same time however, I felt this sense of overwhelming anxiety because of all the unanswered questions. After five years of college, I would no longer have the structure and schedule of each quarter being planned out. The real world approached and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I was planning on moving to Galveston, Texas with sister to spread my wings and get out of the Washington bubble for a few years but decided that I was not ready to leave my family behind. My sister decided to move back to Washington and we got a nice apartment together. I applied for two teaching jobs, a first grade and kindergarten position. I was fortunate enough to make it to the interview which was a blessing in itself seeing as there was a huge stack of applicants. These were my first teaching interviews and although I consider myself a personable and confident person, I was incredibly nervous. Both interviews went great, but they ended up hiring teachers with prior experience. Understandable yet frustrating. How I am supposed to gain experience if I am not given the opportunity to prove myself? Now that school was over and I didn't have to worry about getting a classroom together for the fall, all I had to look forward to was work and free time. Not having lesson plans to write, papers to grade, or exams to study for was a fantastic feeling. But after a few months, I began to miss school. Who would have EVER thought that would happen? In mid-October, I began looking into Masters programs. My mentor teacher had earned hers through Walden University so that is where I started. I noticed that they had a starting day at the end of the month and applied for their Reading and Literacy PreK-6 program. I got in and was ecstatic! It is a 20 month, online program but you are allowed to double up classes if your schedule allows after the first semester. I only started Monday, but already I am learning so much.

Inspirational Quotes

A Day in the Life of a Substitute Teacher

Reasons why I love being a substitute teacher: 1. New students every day. 2. You're forced to improvise when sub plans fail. 3. You become an expert in all of the lessons you are about to teach throughout the day in roughly 30 minutes or less. 4. You get to see how different teachers run their classrooms as well as what is effective and what is not. 5. You get the opportunity to make a lasting impression. Actual conversation I had with some of my second graders as we waited in the lunch line... 2nd grade girl: "How old are you Miss McLaughlin?" Me: "Old enough to be your teacher." 2nd grade girl: "Are you married?" Me: "No." 2nd grade girl #2: "Are you single?" Me: "No." 2nd grade boy: "She's widowed!" Kids say the darndest things, right? More quotes from the day... "Miss McLaughlin I really like your clothes, are they new?" -2nd grade boy