- We are constantly being evaluated. By ourselves, by our peers, by our students. Our evaluations can impact the perception people hold of you and your interactions with others; it can affect your performance at work; as a teacher it can effect the progress of your students learning. All that we can do is put our best foot forward and hope that our evaluations reflect our passion, our ability and our hopes/goals.
In many cases, such as student teaching, you have an idea of who is evaluating you and your performance. For example I know how well I was doing based on my observations from my student teaching facilitator, my conversations from my host teachers, and the notes I saved from all my students. Sometimes, in the rush of things, you forget who else if evaluating you and you don't realize it until months later when you receive a call out of the blue. A call from the elementary principal of the school you student taught in as well as filled in as a substitute since graduation. A call offering you the opportunity for a long term sub position withing their school.
"You have a really good way with students that I think makes you great for this position. I know it is not in your field...but do you think you may be interested?"
YES! Well, almost yes. The position was not art related, instead it entailed teaching in the Resource Room of the elementary school with 4th grade students; an experience that was completely new. Before diving into a new adventure, I like to find out as much as I can so that I can evaluate all my tools and abilities and assess whether it is something I could successfully swim (sinking is not preferred), or if I would be able to access the required tools and techniques to make it a reality. After expressing interest, I got as much information from the principle that I could. I then spent the following days researching Resource Room in schools (both elementary and secondary) and gathering information from others. By the end, I was not only fairly confident that it was something I could do (I was already doing it in some capacity with my Camp Fire kids) but I was really excited about the experiences I could draw from in terms of teaching, working with special education students, and working with general education that could later be translated and serve as advantages for my own art room.
Since the call, I have had the chance to meet the lead teacher, who I was surprise also had good things to say about my teaching experiences at Woodcrest. I was also able to meet with the current substitute teacher I would be replacing (a non special education major individual may only sub up to 90 days). All in all, I am ecstatic and cannot wait to add this experience to my journey in teaching. I look forward to gathering as much insight as possible through observations between now and April 25th and cannot wait to see how the following 8 weeks transpire. During our meeting the lead teacher commented on how "...art has a way of tapping into other ways of thinking...I think you'll be able to use that to really help these students..." Let's prove her right!