I've Been Teacher Tagged by Jeanne

Here are my answers:
1. I am a good teacher because I have read a ton of books. I know books, I try my best to get to know the kid and try to pair them with something they like and don't give up on getting them enthusiastic about reading...ever.

2. If I weren't a teacher, I would be... a Physicians Assistant in an Ob/Gyn office.

3. My teaching style is...based on constant informal assessment and I give the kids all the ownership they can handle. I believe they need to be reading books they can read and want to read and write about things they know about or want to know about. Each kids different, so their reading/writing choice should be as well.

4. My classroom is... homey but incredibly structured. I'm a library that tries my best with my money to make it look more like a library in a home rather than a classroom.

5. My lesson plans... are always planned based on what I think the kids would like to hear about. I get my ideas, by just browsing the shelves, finding a book that I think they will like, and then building a lesson or booktalk, or author study around it.

6. One of my teaching goals is...to understand that if they can read, they can literally learn to do anything and if they can't, they will be powerless in some situations.

7. The toughest part of teaching is the lack of authority teachers have in many many areas, from grades, to discipline, to what books are supported, to what we think is best for students.

8. The thing I love most about teaching is... seeing that I have made a real difference in a child that will stay with them and empower them forever.

9. A common misconception about teaching is... you really don't work that much. When you are finished with the school day, you still have to plan and organize for the next day. Then you have to make a couple of phone calls that last a good 20 minutes a piece. Oh, then the paperwork for the kid you had discipline problems with, and the team meeting, or school wide meeting, or district wide meeting. AND WE DON'T HAVE SUMMERS OFF! What about the staff development we have to attend for and not get paid for....I just put in over a week last week and didn't get paid a dime. And now I am a librarian, so I have to know about books...so I have to read a tremendous amount ALL OF THE TIME and then i have to order these books. These are all things we do off duty...we don't get paid a dime for it, yet it is expected...so yes...we work more than the average person thinks.

10. The most important thing I've learned since I started teaching... is if you set a level of expectation the students will meet it. Yeah...what Jeanne said.