I 've Never Been Good At Saying Goodbye

My first day of the second grade, I knew no one except the teacher and my younger brother. Kindergarten and first grade had been easy enough, but I was scared of the upcoming year. The only thing I knew about being the new kid was that it hadn’t panned out too great for Addie from the American Girl books. Mrs. Henson’s class was fairly quiet throughout the day, for most kids were nervous or tired. We neared the end of the day and I was ecstatic over the fact that hadn’t made a complete fool of myself. I hadn’t met anyone yet, but I thought that that would be a challenge for another day. Unfortunately, that’s not what Mrs. Henson had in mind. She sent us all out to recess with a grin plastered on her face and with me practically kicking

A passion has erupted and is spurting forth in all areas of my life. I believe that every person deserves the opportunity to prove themselves, they deserve to be given a chance and when it comes to children I feel even more strongly about this. A passion of mine is working with children. Bright grinning faces, and the sparkle in small innocent eyes can bring a smile to my face every time. Some children can be good, bad, and some are just tolerable to be around. Being around children brightens up my day. Fourth graders are just as sweet as the young kindergartners, I soon learned. Thanks mom, for the opportunity that made a difference in my life so I could be an impact to the kids at Union Elementary. I do miss everybody at Union already. I can't wait to come back and see everyone again.

September 9th started like any other day, but it didn’t take long before it was the strangest day I’d had in awhile. I came to school at 7 am since it was early in the year, and I still was adjusting to my new classes and new students. The new year was one I was especially looking forward to. I had just won the Teacher of the Year award after only my third year and my students and I all created a bond.

Take a second to remember your last Thanksgiving break of high school, senior year and midterms are coming up soon. Tuesday, November 22, 2016 is a day I will never forget, only two days before the day that was dedicated to being thankful for everything in your life. On this day one of my very best friends was taken from me. Though this tragic event created a huge obstacle for many of us, we knew that we needed to get through it together as a school and most importantly as a community. Many of the students and faculty in my school were very close to her and for some, this was a time that classes were being missed and that their grades were dropping due to not being able to take the stress. Administration soon realized

As a teacher, I have seen students who are gifted; students who can hear information once and it sticks. I have also seen students who become frustrated or apathetic; students who think they can’t do something or choose not to do something because it poses a challenge to them. Having just completed my second year of teaching middle school and high school English, I reflect on this past school year and am reminded that I have chosen a challenging career, but those challenges are miniscule when compared to how fulfilling it is to see a student truly excel. As a teacher, nothing is more gratifying than coming across a student who is motivated; a student who isn’t afraid to put in the work to reach his goals; and a student who not only shows academic excellence, but pushes himself to be the best he can be as a son, an older brother, a member of his community, a volunteer, and a captain of the soccer team. That student is Trevor Fancher.

My new assignment moved me to be with the fifth graders in Ms. Bolds’ room. I had heard of each of these students but hadn’t met them. It took some adjusting, and more adjusting, but I got to know each of these new fifth graders. We also invited some “pull out” students to our room every day for some extra help with Math and Writing. This made our room crazy at times. One of the things I love about this job is that I never have the same day twice.

The transition from Grady High School had become a starting point of a new life. Slowly but surely, it found its way into adulthood. Where I embraced a new sense of responsibility and maturity. At this given time and day, I was responsible for following the rules and regulations. These set of rules was being enforced by the principal named Dr.Bockman. Students did not appreciate her position as being principal, yet her job was to support the Grady community. She had a very strict job and she took it very seriously. Nevertheless, I made my first entrance into the steps of being in high school. I walked into Grady High School with an overwhelming fear of anxiety and depression. I had no idea what the expectations was gonna be. So, I knew that

It was soon the end of August which meant school was right around the corner. I wasn’t too excited, but I was a little anxious to see what God had in store for me. We hopped in the car, and were on the way. I walked into my new school, Country Day, and acknowledged the wind carried the sound of the chitter-chatter of my fellow classmates, lockers slamming as hard as nails and the howling of the spider-monkey. The halls were outdoor and you could see the never ending mountains and feel the gentle breeze swaying back and forth. I enjoyed the first day and couldn’t wait to go back for more. Throughout the day, I met someone special, someone who would soon to be my best friend, partner in crime, my other half, Sibley. She helped me see the good in situations and inspired me to be outgoing and carefree. Our families became best friends and went on adventure after adventure together. The year

My junior year began relatively normal. I was successfully running REACH, the religious club I began, taking on more responsibilities, and even had the standard “OhMyGodWhyAmITakingSoManyAPs” breakdown. But beneath the surface, things were different. My classes were being taught through a rigid curriculum, not offering any time for discussion or input. The vibrant classrooms I had grown to love were now sterile, coated in initiatives from the district. And one morning, almost instantaneously, things began to make sense.

He often has trouble in math, specifically in areas of mathematical problem solving, understanding of data, number concepts, graphical applications and arithmetic computation. So to help him develop his math skills further, I’ve been trying help him with his math homework as much as possible. In the future, I would like to link his interest in science and building things with his math homework to show him that he can see the interdependence between the fields of math and science. Carlos’s writing skills is also appropriate for his grade level, but I want to transfer his excellence in speaking to his writing by encouraging him to read different books genres and styles and talking to him about the book. I’m hoping that by helping him organize his thoughts in a more structured way and encouraging him to write more whether on social media or on assignments, he will become an excellent

About 10 minutes later, after a nice chat, the bell rang. I hugged Annabelle goodbye and started to slowly make my way back to 10EB. I settled into my seat and I looked around the classroom. I noticed some new faces that I had never seen before around St Aloysius College. However, there was one face I did not see, and that was Adelaine’s face. I started to think about how I would be as sweet as pie towards her this year and I hoped for the best that she would return the favour.

The first year, the time to prove myself had arrived. Classes, rooms, teachers, and some students were unfamiliar. Eventually, minutes melted into hours, hours to days, and days to weeks. It didn’t take long before my schedule was routine, something of second nature. Humor and happiness were found in the form of my advisory family, where school was transformed into something more than going through the same motions of day to day activity. By the closing point of sixth grade, I was having a hard time letting go of what I’d adapted to. “What’s wrong?” my dad asked when I was getting into the car after being picked up early on the last day. I explained how distressed I was that my first year of middle school exceeded my expectations, and that it had to come to an end. Although his outlook viewed my reason for sorrow as trivial, I didn’t.

It was a bitter January day when I walked into W.H Morden- my old elementary school. I spent half of my pre-adolescence days there; while I attended, I participated in a range of extra curricular activities- you name it, and I probably managed to juggle it. Anything from: track and field, the eco team, the volleyball team, basketball team, and refereeing school games in my spare time. That year, I managed to graduate grade 8 with a drama award, and how I managed to balance all of that, I do not know. However, that day I was there for a completely different reason. It had been a few years since I had been back last, and a lot had changed. This was no longer the school I had remembered, instead, it was

Leaving here seems so surreal. It seems like just yesterday that I was solving a complicated math problem and procrastinating on my language arts essay. It’s hard to believe that three years of my life have gone by so quickly. It really is crazy to think that in September, we will all be in a different, new place. We will not know what to expect and who to turn to. We will not have the same friends or the same teachers. We will be in a new environment which we will have to adapt to. We are embarking on a new journey where we will have new friendships, new bonds, new teachers, and new challenges to face.

McCourt’s first day of teaching was rather unusual. He was anxious and completely unprepared. The thought of being an invisible man at the front of the room causes him to forget his opening statements. Suddenly a student throws a sandwich at him. McCourt takes it, and while the class expects a punishment, he eats it instead (McCourt, 16). Like McCourt’s first day teaching at a public high school, my first day helping out at the Albion After School Program was a lot to handle. It was my first time helping out students younger than 15 years of age. These kids were restless and at a point in their lives were cognitive development is crucial. Coming from a completely different background made me feel out of place the first day, however as the day went by I grew comfortable and the kids seemed to enjoy my presence. I was able to teach some kids cool ways that I learned how to solve certain scenarios/problems.