I spent the year teaching full-time, in and out of the art room, while working towards a graduate degree in Elementary Ed. Most of my time was spent at my desk at home or in a 5th grade classroom. December 18th, 2020, Lasell University finally wrapped up for winter break. I had gone round and round with a professor all semester. I apologized for being a pest, she responded that I wasn’t a pest, “You’re tenacious.” (Thanks?) And I had spoken to several classmates of growing concerns over our progress throughout the course. I wasn’t the only one who felt the professor was grading unfairly all term. I know I’d done a good job, but my end grade for an important class was a “B”. That’s not a terrible grade, I know. Besides, 6 As and 1 B at the end of the year wasn’t so bad at all. But if I’m telling my students grades shouldn’t matter … then I need to own up and take my own advice. Finally I decided, as of 2021, I will be judging myself based on my work progress. How much did I learn? What will I take away for my own classroom? To date I’ve learned a lot about the potential of a strong literacy program, the importance of culturally relevant pedagogy and LGBTQI inclusion, Gr. K-12. I have a little less than a year to go before earning my new degree and I think I need to refocus on what’s really important. 😃

UPDATE: It just so happened I needed to reference my unofficial transcripts. My grade for Literacy Instruction was changed to from a “B” to an, “A-“.

Meanwhile, checkout some of the work I’ve presented to students. It was a busy year and I am proud of my progress as an educator. Teaching in a hybrid model (some students in-person, others at home) has its challenges. Gone are the days of traditional snow days so there were times I had to get creative at home. This past Thursday was jam-packed as students helped me bake pies during our discussion of cultural family traditions (and I brought math and science into the equation), we discussed fire safety from my kitchen, went to the ballet in my living room, got a weather report from Ottomotto, and shared fitness tips and a mini-workout to motivate each other (and help Mr. Wilber burn off those pies). I’m working alongside some AMAZING and experienced teachers who have been my guides throughout the year. And if not for my family and friends’ support. none of this would have been possible.