Teacher Lessons I've learned

Teacher Lessons I've learned.... (My version of "Lessons We Can All Learn - by Andy Rooney")

I've learned.... That the best classroom should be the one I'm teaching at the moment.
I've learned.... That when you're teaching what you love, it shows.
I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'I get it!' makes me get it.
I've learned.... That having students taking a test is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I've learned.... That being a kind teacher is more important than being a right teacher.
I've learned.... That I shouldn't refuse a hug from a student nor miss the opportunity to hug a student who needs it.
I've learned.... That I can always pray for my students when I don't know how to help any other way.
I've learned.... That no matter how seriously hard your subject is, you still need to make the curriculum amusing.
I've learned.... That sometimes all a student needs is to have their hand held by their teacher with the heart to understand that need
I've learned.... That simple time outs do wonders for me and my students.
I've learned.... That the semester is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned... .That teachers should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned.... That there's never enough money to teach but you do the best you can.
I've learned.... That it's those small student successes that make teaching so spectacular.
I've learned.... That under a student's hard shell is something bigger than my subject matter.
I've learned.... That to ignore the failing students does not change the failing students.
I've learned.... That every day is a new day to a new beginning.
I've learned.... That patience, not tests, is what makes our students learn.
I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a teacher is to surround myself with great teachers.
I've learned.... That you can learn a lot about your students as you greet them in the beginning of class.
I've learned.... That no one is perfect, especially not the teacher.
I've learned.... That teaching your subject matter is tough, but teaching life is tougher.
I've learned.... That students seldom see opportunities unless the teacher first plant the seeds that grow into those opportunities.
I've learned.... That students can be very forgiving if you are honest and upfront with them.
I've learned.... That I wish I could see the people all my students will grow up to become.
I've learned.... That a teacher should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow one of his students may not be there
I've learned.... That smiling is a great indicator of how well your lesson is going.
I've learned.... That when your students bake you cookies, you're hooked for life.
I've learned.... That the more I learn as a teacher, the more I realize how wrong I was about how easy teaching is as a profession.
I've learned ... That the more time I find freed-up from lesson planning, the more time I want to spend improving my lesson plans.

Call me Teach

When a door closes, a window opens....My one and only interview after applying to any and all (which wasn't much) chem teacher job ads was with Poway Unified School District for an opening at Del Norte High School.  I didn't get the job and as school district after school district started the 2011-2012 school year I knew that I probably wasn't going to find a teaching position.  I rationalized that I could use the break which was SO true but I was becoming depressed at the thought of being jobless for another year.  The window opens...a message on my cell phone tells me about a part-time position at Poway HS.  Someone at Del Norte liked me so much that they forwarded my name to Poway HS for a part-time chemistry position.  Before the offer was made the principle was worried I would leave the part-time position to take a full time position.  Well, Poway Unified is one of the last schools to hire--the chances of that happening were slim.  The only other job I would take would be for a position at the Escondido Union High School District so that my kids and I would be on the same school schedule.  That wasn't going to happen because the district already started school.  One week before school started, I was hired as Mrs. Weinhouse, Science Teacher, Poway High School. 

Another journey begins.....becoming Mrs. Weinhouse, Chemistry Teacher...