1st Grade Teacher: Lindsey

Happy Thursday!

Today on the blog I have teacher of 5 years, Lindsey. On Instagram you may know her as educateandmotivate, where she has compiled so many fun ideas and finds for teachers. This year, like many other teachers, she is switching things up from kinder to teaching 1st grade! Here is what she has to say about teaching:

1. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Growing up, I always thought I wanted to be in the dental field. I admired my dentist and orthodontist so much for transforming my smile and giving me the confidence that I didn't have before. Even through COLLEGE I thought that I wanted to be a dentist. I graduated college with a Bachelor's in Biology and upon graduating, I went to work for a pediatric dental office before starting to apply for dental school. While at the dental office, I quickly realized that this was not the career for me. BUT what I absolutely loved about working there were the kiddos. I loved seeing them each and every day, but I didn't feel like I was making enough of a difference in their lives. Soooo.... I enrolled in an alternative teaching certification program and the rest is history! I can't imagine doing anything else. Definitely not the most traditional route to teaching, but it brought me to where I am today and for that, I am so thankful! 

2. Is there a moment that sticks out to you that you remember from school with a teacher you had growing up?

There are so many teachers that come to mind when I think about my memories in school (good and bad ha!). I had to think really hard, almost making a list of who was the most influential teacher in my life. It came down to one teacher I had in high school, Mrs. Walker. Mrs. Walker taught home health, nutrition, and fashion design. I took all three of her classes, not because of the courses, but because of HER. I was also her teacher assistant one year. I will never forget one day while I was in her class, being her teacher assistant, I was talking and not on task because of this boy in the class (can anyone relate?). She had such high expectations of her students, especially me, and when she saw me not doing what was right she pulled me aside and started CRYING. It literally broke my heart. She wasn't yelling at me or scolding me, she was genuinely upset with my actions. This is the first time I had ever seen a teacher be so vulnerable. It was shocking and it changed me in a way that made me know that this teacher cared about me so much that she was emotional. I will forever be grateful for Mrs. Walker and thank goodness for Facebook, so that we can still keep in touch. 

3. What do you teach, how long have you taught, and what did you have to do to get there in terms of schooling?

This next school year I will be teaching first grade, for the first time. I am so excited to experience a new grade! The previous four years I have taught kinder babies and I even student taught in kindergarten. :) Since my journey to teaching was quite unique... I did not get a degree in education, instead I enrolled in an alternative certification program. There were two routes you could take with the program, you could student teach or go straight into teaching with a one-year probationary certificate. I chose to student teach, primarily to get some teaching connections and experience before I went straight into teaching. It was definitely difficult to learn so much about education within a 3-4-month span while student teaching, but it was totally worth it! :) 

4. What is your go-to tool you use with children?

The first thing that popped in my head was my “safe place”, although it’s more of a space than a tool. I teach and model how when we have certain emotions (sad, angry, frustrated) that we can go to this space of the classroom and calm down. It is a space away from the hustle and bustle and I have pillows, feeling buddies (which are stuffed animals with different faces that show the various emotions), and the book “I Can Calm”. The students know that they can go to this space when they need to regulate their emotions and that when they are calm they can come back and join the class. Even I go to the safe place sometimes to show the kiddos that even adults have emotions and that its OKAY to be sad, mad, and frustrated… but it’s how we handle our emotions and regulate ourselves back to calm that matters.

5. Is there anything you do to accommodate your students and how often do you find yourself using that accommodation?

I am continuously accommodating the needs of my students. I think it is so important, for one, to know where your students are academically and to CONTINUE to track their learning progress daily, through formal and informal assessments. This helps me have updated data to know the accommodations I need to put into place. The same goes for behaviors… tracking and monitoring the “why” behind the behavior my students are displaying helps me tremendously to best accommodate their needs.

6. I love how fun your instagram is, what motivated you to start a teachergram?

Honestly, COVID gave me the gift of time to be able to start my TeacherGram… silver linings, right? I have been wanting to start a teacher Instagram for YEARS. I have been following teacher instagrams for so long now and they have given me so much inspiration over the years, and kept me going in a lot of ways! Being able to relate to other teachers struggles and also get inspiration from them has been a saving grace for me.  I am so grateful for this community of teachers! 

7. Any advice for a new teacher?

Ahh where do I begin!? When I think back to my first year as a teacher, there is so much advice I wish I could have told myself.  I guess my biggest piece of advice would be to 1. Get organized…. Think everything through… from the procedures you put in place to where you are going to store your math manipulatives. And be adaptable! If something isn’t working… change it! ALSO, ask your fellow teachers anything and everything. I know that my first-year teaching, I would hesitate to ask certain things, because I didn’t want them to think less of me for not knowing the answer. DO NOT feel that way. I was once told that a first-year teacher is just like a sponge, you are just soaking in everything your first year and learning as the year progresses. Invest your time in building relationships with your kiddos and everything will fall into place.

8. How was it working virtually during COVID shutdowns, do you know what next school year looks like yet?

I was very fortunate that the school district I was teaching in provided lessons for us during the COVID shutdown. I would hop online once a week and have a Zoom meeting with my class and just play games and chit chat. The rest of the week, I would check in with parents to see how the lessons were going and to see if they needed anything. 

As of right now, we have been told that we will be going back to school on the originally scheduled day, and that we will have a traditional schedule. Teachers will be required to wear a mask or face shield and if possible, to have the students stay six feet apart. There are a few other guidelines as well, but those were the most substantial. I am anxiously awaiting to meet my new first graders, mask and all!

9 . A lot of people have been saying they hope things start to change in education since this Pandemic, do you think anything will change from it?

I honestly don’t know. But what I do know is that teachers are resilient and that from this experience we, as teachers, have shown that we are willing to adapt anyway possible to give kiddos the education they deserve. I also believe that parents have a better understanding and appreciation for how hard we work each and every day.

10. Last but not least, where do you see yourself in ten years?

Man… oh… man. Ten years from now I will be 37. God willing, I will have a family and be settled in a home, making wonderful memories with them. I still see myself in education (obviously!). I have always wanted to get my masters, I just haven’t nailed down what I see it being in. I was actually accepted into a Master’s of Library Science program a year ago to become a librarian, but I wasn’t completely set on it so I turned it down. I am leaning towards counseling… we shall see! I’ll check back in ten years. 

Thanks for the interview Lindsey!

Happy Teaching :)