Now that the Facebook page and website are up and running I wanted to start my new blog series “Teacher Tuesdays”. As I see where this photography journey leads I want to pay tribute to my first dream come true, becoming a middle school science teacher.
And what better way to do this then to pay tribute to the show that started it all, The Magic School Bus. Picture me in elementary school bus… much shorter then I am now… still looking 5+ years younger then my real age and with a bow in my hair. I sit by the TV and wait for Ms. Frizzle to come into her classroom and take the kids and me to a new land! I was in love with the adventures, the matching outfits and of course the science!
As I went through middle and high school, I constantly related my knowledge back to the good ole days with the Friz and what she had shown us. I realize now that the reason I so vividly remember those lessons is because they were so visual and you experienced the lesson with Ms. Frizzle.
In high school I realized I had to be a science teacher. I was teaching a swim class as a Junior Counselor at Camp and I just fell in love with that moment when it all clicked. The moment when a kid accomplished something and became filled with pride made me so happy that I knew teaching was for me. I knew I wanted to teach and I knew it had to be Science (my favorite subject). I went to James Madison focusing on Elementary Education and wanting to be a science teacher exclusively. I soon came to realize after talking to multiple people that this was not very likely and that I should move to Middle School…. and so I did and I can’t imagine ever going back.
When I tell people I am a middle school teacher, they first look at my short stature and then make a face like “oh wow…” and then of course they make a comment of “Really?! Well that must be hard with that age group!” or even “Is it weird for you that you look like one of them… or that they are taller then you?” To which I can only ever smile and express how I just love it. It’s funny to think that my first intention was not to teach this age group but now that I have, I’ve fallen in love with it! I love how crazy and quirky they can be and how each day is completely different. Now don’t get me wrong, constant mood changes and their social focus can be challenging at times and does make me wonder if I’m actually making any difference but this added challenge keeps me thinking and changing and working. Even in my third year I’m never 100% satisfied with what I’ve done, and I consistently want to do better. I get bogged down with guided notes and time frames and find myself thinking “what would the friz do?” sounds silly but it’s true! I just want to be as innovative as she was and provide experiences to interact and self discover with material. Now if only I had the rockin outfits and of course… that bus.
So to wrap up, I hope you’ll stop by on Tuesdays for more adventures from my classroom. And of course I can’t leave you without the iconic theme song 🙂 (to which I know all the words….) Have a great day!