Introduction

I am a fifth-year teacher at a small rural high school in South Carolina. I mostly teach 11th grade English, some Advanced Composition, and Yearbook Production. My philosophy of education is the same as most teachers as I believe that every child can learn given the right environment and the right tools. However, I also believe that we must prepare children for the futures they realistically face. Once they leave us, they will move out to a society where Thomas Friedman believes "the world is flat." They will compete for jobs with people from all over the world, and it is our responsibility to help prepare them for this inevitable future.

I believe that teaching must first begin with two things: passion and concern. We must have passion for our profession and for our content, but we must be concerned for our students and their well-being. If you find yourself in this profession and realize you are missing those two things, replan your life. Teaching is not for you.

Teaching is hard and grueling work, but in five years, I have found that there is nothing more rewarding. (No, I don't have my own kids yet, so you naysayers rest assured that, in my life, this is the most rewarding venture I've found.)

Teaching requires heart and patience, dedication and resilience. Without these traits, you will either burn-out or blow-up, and neither makes for a pretty situation. In that sense, however, teaching is not always pretty. Teaching is knowing what kids go through at home, and teaching is wanting, with your whole heart, to be able to adopt every one who isn't treated like the special person he or she is.

Teaching is about wanting to make a difference every single day, but teaching is also about sitting back and being willing to learn. I learn something new from my students every single day, and regardless of meeting AYP or getting into college, there are students who have taught me more than I could have ever dreamed of teaching them.

I teach because it's what I know and it's what I love. When I think about the future, I can't picture myself outside of the four walls of my classroom. It's just where I belong.

Blog Stalker

As much as I am ashamed to admit it, for the past year or so, I have been a blog stalker of sorts. My husband has expressed just how creepy he thinks this activity is and has often encouraged me to start my own--which I have, but have not maintained. There are no promises that this attempt will be any different, however, I feel the need to write currently, and I haven't had that urge or desire with any previous blog ventures.

I am a high school English teacher in my early twenties, and I love what I do. I have been married for a year and a half to the man who made it obvious why none of my previous relationships ever worked. I am the daughter of two wonderful parents (my father is a minister), the sister of two great sisters, and the aunt of a nephew who will soon be a senior in high school, a middle school-aged niece, and the most adorable six year old little girl you've ever seen. I love Jesus with my whole heart and strive to serve Him in all that I do. However, growing up as a preacher's child has shown me some sides of church politics of which I am not very fond.

This summer, I had the opportunity to be a part of a National Writing Project summer institute. Before I gained the busy jobs of being a wife and a teacher, I wrote all the time, and I loved it. Since entering the classroom and walking down the aisle, however, I had entered a stage in my life which one of my colleagues adequately dubbed "never writing." At the beginning of each day during the course, we were required to write for about 45 minutes. The first day, I panicked. What could I possibly write about for 45 long minutes!?! It was excruciating. Day Two was easier, and by Day Three, I was actually enjoying myself.

You see, the truth is, I never really became a writer. I believe I've always been one. In fact, I believe my inner writer is as much a part of my DNA as my eye color. I am hoping that this blog becomes a writing outlet for me. I have always been hesitant about writing posts because I worry about what people will think and how I sound, but I understand now that this is only for me, and I have to use it how I can most benefit from it. True, I won't have the fanbase of Kelly's Korner, but I will be writing, and that makes me happy.