The time that I have been working for has finally arrived! This Fall I began teaching second grade in my community, which now happens to be a rural farm town in southwest Ohio. It has definitely been a long, winding road leading up to my classroom, a road that I will try to summarize in this first post, kicking off this blog.
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| The first day of school...first grade? |
I have not always wanted to be a teacher - it was not something I knew I wanted to be until recently. I could not afford to go to college after high school, and as I didn't really know what I wanted to be when I grew up, college was probably not the best choice for me at that time, anyway. I followed my dad's footsteps and joined the Navy (1982). During the admitting process, I tested into the Nuclear program, and into electronics. I later dropped the nuclear portion but earned the Electronics Technician (ET) rating, beginning my career in electronics. I repaired electronic communications equipment in the Navy, then got a job repairing and programming two-way radio equipment for a company in Dayton for seventeen years (1989-2006). I married Shelby in 1996 and, after we had our three children and received custody of our two oldest daughters, we decided to go to college (Shelby actually started before our youngest was born, and never missed a quarter...amazing woman). This gave me the opportunity to decide what I wanted to be when I grow up...To over simplify it: I love learning, and I love working with kids, so "Teacher" was the career that I picked.
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| My Navy job on the USS Saratoga. |
I started my college education at Sinclair Community College (2003) and transferred to Wright State University, where my wife was attending college, as a Middle Childhood Education student. Shelby graduated and got a job in St. Petersburg, Florida, so we moved there and I transferred the University of South Florida at St. Petersburg (2006). USF offered Elementary or Secondary Education programs...I had no desire to teach high school, so I began my K-6 Educator program. After a couple years, we moved back to Ohio and I transferred back to WSU (2008), this time into the Early Childhood Education (PK-3) program. I graduated in 2010, summa cum laude. I worked as a substitute teacher while we defined where my wife's work would take us (we remained in the Dayton area) and while we searched for, and bought, our first house together (2011). Although I had applied for teaching jobs before the move to our new home, this is where the intense search began.
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| Graduation day! |
After several resume revisions, applications, job fairs, and substitute teaching positions in several districts throughout several counties, I was lucky enough to receive two long-term sub positions in the elementary school that was to become my home as a teacher. It is a great school, and it has a great staff. The principal welcomed me from the beginning as a substitute teacher, and kept me busy as a regular sub in the building. My first long-term sub position was in first grade, upon request from a teacher (I had subbed in her class previously) preparing for maternity leave. During that position, another teacher in second grade put in her request for the end of the year while she had surgery and physical therapy. I was able to sub for that teacher, who retired this past year. Another second grade teacher also retired at this school, and an additional second grade position was added...I was hired and will remain in the same room that I ended last school year in as a substitute teacher...this year I am Mr. Roberts, the teacher!
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| On our new front porch! |
This blog will be a record of my journey as a new teacher and beyond, reflecting my thoughts and the events that take place as I begin and travel this exciting road in the field of education. I will also share ideas, products, links, and other resources that I want to recognize as a teacher. I have a lot of ideas that I want to try in the classroom, and I have goals will guide my career both short term and long term. Besides being a little self-serving as a diary, I hope that this blog will be helpful to others, and helpful to me through comments, feedback, and conversations resulting from these posts. So, feel free to comment and add to the journey...now let's head into teaching!
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| All of the family - a great group! |
