Support System

I’m sure my MTC professors would love to see that I have turned to a veteran teach for help, but the fact of the matter is, my school is tiny. We only have about 12 teachers in the main school building, half of which are other MTC teachers. I am also in the new wing (which is only four classrooms, so I’m not sure it could be considered a wing) with three second-year MTC teachers. In a sense, I’m surrounded by MTC teachers, and they are the ones I turn to for support. I rely on them because I feel they understand my predicament and my experiences the best. (This is not to say I don’t talk to the other teachers at my school. In fact, I frequently have lunch with the two longest-standing veteran teachers at Byers. We talk about students, problem classes, and the school in general. Whenever I have some kind of difficulty, they happily give me advice, empathy, or both.) I guess the important difference, in my mind, is that the MTC teachers share the alternate-route-teaching perspective as me. They are also newer teachers, like me, and are dealing with similar new-teacher issues within the classroom.

Most often when I go to other teachers for support, it’s not for classroom materials or lesson plan ideas. I talk to the other teachers about my students, my frustrations, my teaching, and so on. I seriously need more of what I call “adult time” in my life. I don’t truly feel like much of an adult yet, unless I’m around my students. I like and care about my students, but spending all day with impulsive, immature, moody teenagers can wear you out. And make you realize you are in fact an adult. Maybe not the adultiest adult, but an adult nonetheless. It’s eye opening. As a teenager I probably felt a lot older than how I acted (just like my kids currently). The point is that I don’t spend nearly enough time talking to adults and that’s what I seek most from other teachers at my school: an opportunity to socialize with someone closer to my age (or older).

Above all, I most often turn to fellow MTC-er, Lindsay White. All two of us make up Byers’s English department, so I originally thought we would be spending a lot time together trying to coordinate English-related lessons or to get her teaching advice. Honestly, though, most of our time spent together has been doing stuff like going out to eat, venting about our school days, or some other non-school-related activity, like bowling. This does not directly impact student learning, but it does keep me sane, which indirectly benefits my students. (A sane Ms. Lindsay is a more functional Ms. Lindsay.) Lindsay is a comfort to have around, especially when I’m having a rough day with the students or that one instance I was having an emotional breakdown/intense anxiety over a stressful parent interaction at the end of Term 1. I have a tendency to absorb students’ faults as my own (to blame myself for student behavior and failure rather than turning it back on them and holding them accountable for their actions and decisions), but she helps me keep things in perspective. I’ve kind of secretly adopted her as my mentor. Even though we don’t get to talk much throughout the school day, it’s a sad day when she is absent. (As I typed that, I realized I might be super clingy – sorry Lindsay! I do appreciate your friendship though!)

I forgot to get picture with Lindsay, so have some pictures from our bowling night! (I promise both of these games were a fluke for me and that I usually struggle to get 80.)

Ms. Lindsay and Ms. White's  Bowling Adventure: Game 1

Ms. Lindsay and Ms. White's  Bowling Adventure: Game 2