The Sub Life Returns, California Style
As some of you in G's Spot land may have known, my ongoing search for teaching work had expanded to the west coast in early 2008. Well, the bi-coastal (if you consider Lake Michigan a coast) approach finally paid off earlier this month when I got a job teaching 5th/6th grade language arts and social studies at a charter school in the bay area of northern California. The position became open late in the hiring process due to a maternity leave situation, which is not coincidentally also how I got my first teaching job in North Carolina. In this case it was for the birth of twins, and I thank them both for coming along just in time for me to get hired for the 2008-09 school year.
Upon being offered the position via a phone call on 8/8/08 while on vacation with family on Nantucket Island, MA, I promptly returned to Chicago, gave my one week notice at Edline that Monday, packed up all my stuff, rented a moving truck, said goodbye to as of my friends as possible, packed the moving truck with the help of my buddies Rob (aka "Half-Life of Shoes"), Mike and Thang and hit the road August 17th with my Honda Accord in tow for a nearly 2,220 mile drive cross country. Said drive, which took me through Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada was completed in 3 days, just in time for me to crash at my sister's and report to orientation on Thursday the 21st bleary eyed to say the least. Pictures from the drive - still stuck on my digital camera - will be forthcoming when I set up my computer.
Just to give a little background, the school where I work, San Carlos Charter Learning Center, opened in 1994, was the first charter school in California and is currently the longest running charter school in the United States. It is a K-8 school with a multi-grade approach for all grades other than 4th, which in California is the last grade of elementary before entering middle school. It is progressive in terms of curriculum, more project-based and student-centered with a very tight-knit community with strong parental involvement. The new director comes from a Quaker school background, where more emphasis is placed on creating a community of learners adhering to values of integrity, equality and peace. So, for example, kids call the teachers and staff by their first names as opposed to "Mr. or Ms. such and such" as to eliminate the formality and inequality the use of title implies, and we are referred to as educators and learners, respectively as opposed to teachers and students.
Last Saturday I was besieged by parents and kids alike in my classroom with offers of help to clean, set up computers, move furniture, etc. One thing you learn as a teacher is that when you are lucky enough to have parents offer help you take it. My first day got off to strong start in the dessert department when one of the parents brought me a yummy homemade apple cobbler. Mmmm Mmmm. Keep the food coming. That first week with a new group of kids is always a feeling out process, and the fact that I was in a new school and living in a new state made it all the more challenging and exhausting...I crashed by 9:30p every night last week! Having been used to an elementary school situation where I was with the same group of kids throughout the day, it was also an adjustment for me to be in a middle school situation with different groups of kids coming and going from the room during the day. Also, I had to familiarize myself with twice as many student names, always a challenge at the start of the year.
The important thing is that I survived the first week, with many compliments and much support from students, staff and parents alike which was nice. I can now enjoy some down time with my sister, brother-in-law and 3 adorable nieces in my new home over the long holiday weekend. I hope this posting finds everybody doing well and that you all have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend.
posted by Grant @ 8:17 PM
0 comments
