The Beginning of My Dreams

     I guess the way to start this blog is the beginning. I have written in previous blogs about my struggle to get a teaching job. Thankfully I was turned down by some schools where I live and a few where I do not live. That opened the door to the wonderful teaching job I did get. I did not really want to work 70 miles from home but it is well worth it.

     When I first decided to become a teacher I wanted to teach kindergarten, as the years progressed I realized that I wanted to teach gifted education. This discovery was through my own gifted children and the fact that their needs are not truly met in public education in Colorado. School was a struggle for both of them and I decided I wanted to be a part of the change.  My long term goal became teaching gifted ed. Of course I knew I had to teach regular ed for a while and that was fine. My long long term goal is to open a school for gifted children. I will most likely never reach that goal  due to funding, but it is a dream of mine.

     I began looking for a job after graduation from college. I was looking for a regular ed job and turned down for many. Then I decided to reach out to a school 70 miles away. There were two positions open and  I applied for the regular ed position and the gifted position but figured I would not get that one. Luckily though I did and just have to get my endorsement before two years is up.

     I was a big nervous about my new school, it is on the Navajo Reservation and well I wondered how well I would be accepted. My worries were quickly made moot when I found everyone at my school to be accepting and wonderful. The kids are respectful and well behaved. Of course they are kids but nothing like I'd experienced during my subbing days at home. The kids in my school make me smile and are very sweet

     I actually service two schools, one of them is 15 miles north of the school where I spend most of my time. I also love the children at the other school. They are super sweet and I wish I could spend more time with them.

     My job has been challenging because I am new to teaching and gifted is different. We don't have a set curriculum, we create out own. That has been the biggest challenge of all. There's some paper work too and which isn't so bad it is putting it all in the computer that can be rather difficult.

     The schools I work at are in New Mexico where they really value the gifted students. They work hard meeting their needs which makes me happy.

     So there it is, the start of my new blog about my teaching experience.