New Teachers

I follow and love this blog by Dan Meyer and particularly the post I linked here.  He talks about speaking to the new teachers entering the world of math education and how awesome it is to be counted among such great people, and I can totally relate.  I am entering a new phase in my teaching career.  Next year will be my 10th year of teaching and wow, what a run it has been.  I can't believe I'm hitting double digits; I still feel like a rookie and in many ways I still am.  I currently teach in a great math department of 4 and I am the rookie-est.  The others are into their teaching careers 15 or more years, two are looking ahead only a few years and they can see retirement.  I am the rookie.

However, next year, I will no longer be the rookie.  We are adding a 5th math teacher to our department which is so exciting that we have the numbers and interest in our student body that we need more math teachers.  We recently went through the hiring process to find the best person for the job, and we found her.  Yes, her.  First off, how great that another woman will be joining our department, I've started a trend!  Second, and this is where I explain the "new phase of my teaching career,"  this new teacher is a former student.  I had her in 8th grade during my first year of teaching.

I have now been teaching long enough to have my former students as my peers.  Next thing you know I'll be having former students' children....and the guys I work with tell me that will make me feel really old.

So, the connection to Dan's blog...

It's such an exciting time for me, to think that one of my former students, who I found to be a hard worker, intelligent, caring individual, also chose to be a math teacher.  I'm counted in the same category as her and a few others of my former students (who were all awesome, by the way) that are becoming teachers.  I'm thrilled to be among such great people.  I'm thrilled to know that there are more great people entering the world of education.  They have made the decision to teach and make a huge impact on the world.

I'm also anxious to start our work together as a department of 5.  There will be so much learning taking place, it will be unreal!  Learning from us "non-rookies" yes, but the learning that will take place by the 4 of us, learning from our new teacher who is fresh from college and full of energy and excitement for her new career.  I am very much looking forward to this new experience and phase in my teaching career.

Here's to a great start to the next ten years of teaching!