New beginnings!

This is me - 1996 - starting out as a half-time prep-time teacher at Wildrose Elementary. Dianne Lahti offered me the job - and it sounded better than subbing - and actually paid more - although it meant that I had to be at school every day.  And it meant that I had to start working on a credential, because I was on an emergency credential.

The job entailed going around to every 4th and 5th grade classroom 3 times a week and teaching P.E. one of the times and Science the other 2 times.  Looking back on it, I'm kind of amazed that no one told me what curriculum to use or what standards I had to follow - nowadays it certainly wouldn't be like that!

The concept of prep-time came about because the 4th and 5th grade teachers actually teach more minutes that the lower grades, and they wanted compensation - either monetary or time.  The district opted to give them time - thus I would come in and take over the classes in 45 minute increments - which meant that every 4th and 5th grade teacher got 2 hours and 15 minutes of prep-time weekly. 

I didn't have a classroom and that was tough.  No one seemed to care either - finally the janitor fixed me up with a cart that held file boxes.  He cleared out a closet where I could park it each day!  And I roamed around the campus with my cart!  (Or my bag of equipment for P.E.)

Overall it was a positive experience, although they had just started the 20 to 1 classroom ratio for K-3, and they were short one teacher, so for the first 2 weeks I had to teach a 2nd grade class all day until they got a permanent teacher.  I actually enjoyed that and thought about taking the job.  Upon reflection, however, I realized that teaching full-time and going to school full-time might not be the best thing for our family.  I'm glad I made the choice I did - since I ended up in middle school.  I'm pretty sure elementary teaching might have worn me out more quickly!

At the end of my tenure at Wildrose, Bill Card - our friend and principal at Clifton - called and offered me a half-time Special Education position.  When I had subbed, Special Ed looked so easy - all those helpful instructional aides and small classes - so I said yes!

So off I went to Clifton - and to a shift in the classes I was taking at APU - and we all grew together for the next 17 years.  That first year was a "dream" year in my memory.  I taught 3 classes in the afternoon, and the largest class had 7 students.  I had the van and Harry went with me as I took the kids on field trips to the Holocaust Museum and the Huntington Library, among other places.

Then the end of May dawned, and the Special Ed chairwoman came to me with a sheaf of IEP's - there were 10 to be exact - and she said, "You need to do these IEP's by June 10th."  So I said, "What's an IEP and how do I do one?"  (This was truly a different time and place - and it wouldn't happen today!)

She showed me the testing to do and did one IEP with me - and then left me on my own.  I truly learned by doing on that one.  As the years went on, I came to realize the absolute value of student teaching.  I learned everything by trial and error - my classes at APU weren't all that helpful although they were informative and interesting.  I could have saved a lot of grief with some direct instruction.

The following year I was offered a full-time position, and I happily took it!  By now I had a lot of the credential classes under my belt and only needed to take one or two at a time - and could take some online or through BYU Home Study.  My "student teaching" consisted of me paying them $1200 and someone came and observed me twice!  Like I said before, it wouldn't happen today!

I started out sharing room 2 with Dalene Johnson - she was a mentor who taught me lots - lots that I continued to use each day of my teaching career.  Then I spent a few years in Room 8 in the main hall.  I loved that room and was sorry when they booted me out of it.   A new principal wanted to make it the discipline room.  Since it was next door to the counseling office, it was the perfect spot for it.  I was plunked in room 5 - much smaller and much less satisfactory I might add.  Room 7 in the main hall was vacant, and I kept begging for it.  When we got another new principal, I quickly asked for - and got - room 7 - where I ended my career last June!

I made the decision to retire somewhat quickly.  In actual fact, the Special Ed department at both middle schools in our district were re-structured.  The new configuration was based on the push-in model, which meant that I wouldn't have classes of my own to teach anymore, but I would go into other general education teachers English and Science classes and assist the Resource students there.  It didn't seem like something I wanted to do. 

 I didn't mind going to work each day.  Sometimes it was wearing and my feet hurt a lot!  The increasing interference from administration was often burdensome. But the joy at reaching kids and helping them learn to love and enjoy reading and literature made it "work worth doing."  The new model could very well be worthy, but I won't be finding that out for myself!!

I will look forward to the reports from others!