teacher talk: outfits!

Welcome back to another rendition of the Teacher Talk link up with the lovely Nicole & Jamie!


So, when I saw that teacher outfits was the topic for this month's link up, I had the brilliant idea to take pictures of my outfit in the morning (ya know, before I looked like I wanted to pull my hair out of my head at 2:10pm). And that NEVER NEVER NEVER happened. Because I am A) NOT a morning person and B) I can't seem to take a decent picture of myself as a "selfie" with my iphone or my regular camera. EPIC fail.

But, just like Nicole said in her post, I work at at school that is somewhat pretty relaxed when it comes to the dress code. I wore jeans last Friday (hey, it was the day after open house! I think the entire 7 & 8th grade staff members were in jeans) and could wear them in the middle of the week if I wanted to.

I do try to look professional. Sometimes I will allow myself to dress in jeans (like last Friday and I will this Friday since I have to help with PBIS the first two periods) and other days, its a skirt/dress/dress pants combo. The good majority of my clothes I wear to work have come from NY & CO (the store & outlet), Kohls, Ann Taylor, The Loft, etc. A few pieces from J.Crew are slowly inching their way in.

My style for school is essentially professional with comfort. I cannot teach in heels. I do NOT find them comfortable and I think trying to navigate the hallways during passing time would end up with me face first in the ground. I wear flats.

This is pretty much my kind of style for school:

 

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I have worn something like this.

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I just wouldn't wear the belt like that...I am a little self-conscious.

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I would wear this on a casual day. :) Except I don't have any accent necklaces like that.

Still casual yet professional! And no, I would not wear heels. I would rock flats with this outfit.

I have worn something like this (even to an interview) but instead of the jacket at school, it would be a caridgan sweater. Sometimes one room is hot and another is not. 

I do need to try on more dress pants and either have them altered in the waist and have them hemmed or just buy new ones. All of my pants after awhile sag in my butt area and then they are also too long! 

I am excited to see how other teacher blogger dress. I really like to be comfortable yet professional. Sometimes I go straight to my tutoring job so I still feel professional if I am in slacks and a shirt. Today, it was khacki dress pants, a white cami and a coral shirt over it from Kohl's. For the win since one of my students told me she loved my shirt.

{I teach. It's what I do} - Teacher Talk Link Up

Good morning, y'all. This time next week, it will be the FIRST day of school. YIKES! Where on Earth did summer go?

I am super excited to me a part of the blog linkup that the lovely Jamie & Nicole are hosting. Teacher Talk. Who doesn't love connecting with other bloggers who share your passion for your profession? When I saw their announcement, I thought this was perfect to connect with other teachers who are either veterans, in their first year, or on the road to becoming a teacher!

So, let's get down to it!

Who am I? My name is Kristin and I am a Spanish teacher. I currently have my certification in Spanish 7-12 with a middle childhood extension (say that five times fast). Basically, I can teach Spanish from grades 5-12. I also have a minor in French...my goal is to be able to teach BOTH languages one day (I am only lacking 8 credits to have my French certification). Plus, my Special Education certification is pending. I am still on the hunt for my perfect teaching job. When school starts next week, I will be going back to my Teaching Assistant (TA) position. Essentially, I help co-teach with 3-4 other Spanish teachers and help assist the class. When it comes to testing, I take the special education students out to ensure they get their testing modifications. I don't have to grade (although I strangely enjoy doing it!) and I do not have to plan any lessons.

I am thrilled to have this again but like I said yesterday, I am somewhat jealous of everyone I know getting a full time job. I am going to continue to look for my dream job and even out of state. So if you know of a school looking for a Spanish teacher (middle school is my dream job!), holler at me!

Why do I teach? I originally wanted to be a pediatrician growing up. I liked kids and I think watching George Clooney as Dr.Ross on ER had something to do with it. In the back of my mind, I figured I could always be a teacher (let's face it...there's a LOT of information to memorize/know as a doctor and I had a feeling med school would be hard!). After my 6th grade guidance counselor told me I was too stupid to be a doctor, I thought 'Well, I'll just be a teacher!' I had always played school when I was little.

    When I was in middle school, we had to take half a year of Spanish and half a year of French in 6th grade. I simply fell in love with learning languages. I thought it was interesting and enjoyed learning about another culture. Plus, my teacher, Mrs.Reith, was amazing. I was fortunate to have her all three years of middle school. I had ultimately chosen to learn Spanish (they make you decide halfway through 6th grade) and she told me in 8th grade, if I was serious about wanting to be a Spanish teacher, it would benefit me to take French in high school. As a 9th grader, I took French 1/2 honors. I was the only freshman in the class! I continued to take both languages through high school until my senior year when I chose Spanish AP over French because they were both scheduled the same period.

When I wrote my college admission essay with my applications, I wrote about someone who had a major impact on my life. And that person was Mrs.Reith. She ultimately showed me through her teaching the type of teacher I wanted (and hoped) to be. I went back and gave her a copy of my essay. It made her cry. What teacher doesn't love seeing proof that you are making a difference in the lives of your students? I even kept in contact with her while I was student teaching and we met up. I am eternally grateful that she inspired me to become a teacher. Otherwise, I don't know where I would be today.

I also teach because I believe it is what God destined me to do in life as my calling. I enjoyed playing school as a child and office supplies give me a "rush" as silly as that sounds. I enjoy buying new pens, notebooks, and folders. New school supplies is like Christmas morning!! I want to be able to make a difference in the lives of my students. I want to be able to take a tough concept (say like stem changing verbs) and be able to explain it in simple steps to some student who might be struggling. I want to be an inspiration to my students like Mrs.Reith was to me and hopefully they will want to be a language teacher one day! Notes like these (from two of my 7th graders last year) make the long days worth while: