{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: