Big Time Blogging Challenge: Educational Experience

I'm back!  Well, I hope to be back.  I'm taking on the Big Time Blogging Challenge from Big Time Literacy.  I'm hoping that it will help me get into the groove of blogging.  I still read A LOT of blogs, but I never feel like I have much to contribute.  Hopefully some of her prompts will help me to feel like I'm writing some worthwhile posts.

Anyway, today is July 2, so the prompt is: "How long and in what capacities have you been in education?"  I've addressed this before, but for those who have never been to my blog here goes:

2014-2015 will mark my 9th year as a teacher.  I began my career in a rural school district teaching 1st-8th grade classes for gifted students.  I loved my small school, and the family I had created with my students, but after three years I felt like it was time to move to something bigger.

Over the last five years, I've been in a large (for Southwest Missouri) school district.  I've been through a lot in this district.  I was first hired to be a 3rd & 4th grade gifted teacher, but got RIFed when the program had some grade levels eliminated (darned budget cuts).

Next, I taught 5th grade for a year in an extreme poverty school.  I think this is where I learned the most, it really opened my eyes to the poverty in my town, and the needs of students in poverty. Unfortunately, that school was destroyed by an EF-5 tornado, scattering the already very transient student population to the wind.

Due to this disaster, there were not enough students to have two 5th grade teachers at the temporary location, so I was moved to a bigger elementary in the district.  I taught there for two years.  I had great teaching partners, great colleagues, and great students.

However, I decided to leave to pursue one of my passions: technology.  The district created an instructional coaching position with a focus in technology integration with 8th grade teachers and students as they implemented 1:1 iPads.  That is where I spent the last year.  Working with adults challenged me in ways that I have never been challenged before.  I loved it, but missed having my own group of students SO much.

2014-2015 will see me back in the classroom.  I will be teaching 8th grade reading and writing in a 1:1 iPad classroom.  I will be across the hall from one of my dear friends, and be on the same team as a great group of people I coached last year.  I'm looking forward to it so very much.

Well, that's my educational experience.  I hope that my background and experience can add to the blogging community.  We shall see!