I don’t feel as if I surprised myself from the growth I have achieved. Where I did surprise myself was how I had to become more self-sufficient in navigating through the entire process of this year’s induction. My induction coach empowered me to figure things out on my own with the new induction layout. She encouraged me to try new technologies in the classroom. Technology is not a strong point of mine, yet I had to problem solve on my own in order to navigate through new CTI format. I had a lot of anxiety in the beginning. I was amazed at myself that I was able to overcome many deficits in my understanding of how to explore the CTI website and information by just facing my fear of technology with facing that fear directly.
There are a few areas I would like to explore on my educational journey. Advocate, counselor and/or administrator. I will always be an advocate for children with special needs. My goal is to educate as many families as possible about early intervention. I already do this now with parents who have concerns about the child’s development. I ask questions, listen, then let them know about different services that are available to them such as Inland Regional Center. I suggest questions they can ask their district’s administration about their concerns they may have about general and special education. I may go back to college and earn a counseling degree to help the youth, or pursue an administrative credential to better connect families to the school culture. I choose these areas to explore because I see a strong need for families get access to information as early as possible so they can get adequate services early in his/her life. I have witness the results of early intervention, and it helps the child and family.
I will go back to my university and speak the guidance counselor of College of Education. I will make inquiries on how to go about obtain these degrees/certifications. I will get involved in community activism by volunteering my time at their events, such as Autism Speaks.
I will continue to attend personal development that is sponsored by my school district. I will also conferences held by CTA.
I most definitely have to maintain a work life balance while teaching. I have tended to work 11 hours daily because I am so passionate about teaching. I will attend more professional development workshops and trust that my class will survive without me for the day. I will also delegate some of tasks to my instructional aide when possible.
First, networking is key in your first year of teaching. Go out and introduce yourself to your peers at your school site. Veteran teachers have so much knowledge in teaching, time management, conflict resolution, behavior suggestions. If possible, volunteer/observe in another classroom when possible. As the new teacher starts the induction program, I have on spiral notebook to write down all your notes regarding induction. Put the day of the week and date every time you meet with your coach. This will save you time looking for your notes in written or type on numerous documents. Make a do list. Check off as you go through out your day. What doesn’t get complete at the end of your day will be put on top of the list the next day. It is okay not to finish the list! Last, prep your materials the day before so that you are ready to once you arrive at school the next day. Always expect the unexpected that can delay you being ready to teach when students arrive such as traffic, aides calling out, or you don’t have the material needed to teach the lesson.