Diving Into the Deep End

Before starting something new, I don’t need to feel 100% ready, I just need to feel that I did my best to prepare for what I can know and be open to what I don’t know.

My first classroom 2002

This is my comfort zone.

Using this philosophy, I found the New York City Teaching Fellows program and started my education career in the Bronx at 23 years old. I knew I wanted to teach students how to read and write because I love reading and writing, and I knew those skills are the ones that get you new skills! If you are a good critical reader and writer, you can learn and be successful in any job. I knew that I loved working with middle school students, having just spent two summers as a counselor and ropes course instructor at a YMCA overnight camp in Maryland. I thought seventh grade was the perfect place to experience how students learn. And beyond that…I knew little else.

I didn’t know anything about the 33 students in each class, ages 11–15, with varying degrees of ability and academic experience. I didn’t know that the school could not come close to providing even a fraction of what my students needed or the support I needed as a first-year teacher. But I knew I would figure it out by researching lesson plans, asking for help, talking with my co-workers, working with my classmates in graduate school, or by sheer force of will. I would figure it out because I’m excited about learning new things, and my students needed me to be successful in helping them.

Mr. Pilarski helping me set up my classroom.

I like being thrown in the deep end. It makes me swim harder.

(Incidentally, the first thing I learned in my first year of teaching was don’t wait until 2 days before school starts to set up your classroom.)