It’s been an insanely busy week or so for me. I’ve changed careers. Seriously. I was a spokesman for a law enforcement agency. Now I’m a biology teacher. Yes, you read that right. I had my first day of school today. I’ll try to post a bit more about the sudden change, but for now you can find a snippet at my author blog. And here is my reflection on my first day:
I survived my first day as a high school biology teacher. Wow, it was a blur. That’s about all I can say. I had some minor adjustments to make after the first few periods when I finished what I planned to do with way too much time left before the bell. By about third period I found a way to fill the time and the rest of the day went about as smooth as can be expected. Way too many zombies were staring off into space and yawning and trying to snooze, but nearly everyone perked up when I told them about some of my Marine Corps and Sheriff’s Office experiences. The rest of the week should be interesting. There are assemblies and fire drills galore already on the schedule starting tomorrow. Adapt and overcome.
Welcome to the trenches. My career arc was similar to yours in that I was an oilfield geologist for 10 years before entering the classroom. That was 25 years ago and I am still at it.
Sharing your previous experiences with students is a good way to develop relationships with them. You may or may not have been told (I wasn’t) that being a good teacher is all about establishing relationships with your students. Otherwise, they have no vested interest in learning.
Anyway, congratulations and hang in there. Based on what I know about you from your blog entries, you will make an excellent teacher.
Brandon,
I recently retired after 26 years as a 8/12 k science teacher and I must say for the most part I loved every second of it. Good luck, it will be a little tough at the outset, so use that marine mentality. As cope said, build those relationships and you will succeed.
Thank you very much for the kind words and advice, guys. I appreciate it. I am certainly going to work at establishing those student relationships. But first I have to learn their names. 150 of them is going to be a challenge for me!
I worked on the business side of healthcare for 25 years. I went back to school to get my teaching credentials and have been in the classroom the last 4 years. The toughest week of school is the first week. After that it gets easier. Not much, but easier. Best of luck.
If they ever give a national-level prize for sheer persistence, I propose it be called the Brandon Haught Award.
Congrats!
So how have the last two weeks gone for a brand-new bio teacher?