Teach at Great Oaks

My coaching sessions have been going really well. There are some things that I have down but I like to be challenged and I like to grow. No one has the answer as how to have a perfect classroom because all students are unique. But the fact that I’m able to get coaching every week on my lesson plans and how I’m executing the lesson helps me to push my own teaching further.

In August we all have professional development together – even the AmeriCorps fellows. We get to build relationships with our fellows and new staff naturally from the beginning before we even start the year. I also help support teachers in my role as Sixth Grade Team Leader. I hold monthly team meetings where we are able to hear how teachers are feelings and what they need, especially our new teachers, to make sure they are constantly feeling supported.

The fellows are wonderful. They come from a variety of different backgrounds and experiences in life. They create working goals with the students that help in all of their classes. For example, if a student is working on focusing more in class, the fellows will help to create steps for them to achieve that goal. It allows me to support students and also hold them accountable.

At Great Oaks every student gets an excellent education and individualized attention and that aligns with my views as an educator. When I was told students had mentors to support them in their math and literary skills, I thought this is amazing! That was one of the main reasons why I joined Great Oaks.

One of the strongest points of the school is the great level of participation of parents and families. It’s really hard to get parents to come to schools in general, but not at Great Oaks. Administrators make a huge effort to build that community and I personally encourage parents to come into my classroom to see what we are doing.

Strong relationships are super important. Making sure students get to college is our job as teachers along with the students’ parents. We work together as a family to make that happen.

I think we deliver a very strong and healthy curriculum in math. We set the bar high and we set it high on purpose. I passionately believe in what I’m doing and the students know that I’m strict because I care.

We give the student a progress report every two weeks and we try to give the students information that is meaningful to them. They create a reflection on how they thought they did and then we sit down and discuss where they actually are. As a teacher it also helps me improve my lessons to meet the needs of the students.

I really enjoy working with my co-workers here. My co-workers, especially my 8th grade Social Studies counterpart have been amazing to work with; we brain storm rubrics together and vertically plan curriculum to ensure I’m teaching the foundational skills in my class to ensure students have what they need to be successful in 8th grade.

The open door policy is something I don’t see in other schools. All of us can come in and speak to each other at anytime with openess. It allows us not to just do our own job better but to help others.