I survived

Wow. What a week. This week was my first week as a teacher and was by far the hardest week of my life. As my principal put it this week - they handed me the baton in the middle of the race and I didn't even have time to stretch. Not only am I trying to figure out how to teach (and what type of teacher I want to be), but due to all the changes (keep reading if you want more on that), there is a lot of defiance from the students. True to form, I am putting a lot of pressure on myself, and the pressure nearly proved to much for me. But, I made it through the week, and even chalked up a few small victories. The environment is such that most of the teachers consider it a success if we actually "teach" 2 days a week.

My personal path has been confusing. I almost feel like the last 10 days were an out of body experience. Tuesday (2/8) I presented a large credit facility to credit committee and on Wednesday (2/9), I became Mrs. Nellis. This week I didn't think once about the stock market. These kids and their families know the true reality of the economic crisis. Talk about a change. I can't even quantify the changes that I know I will personally experience. More to come on that, I'm sure. If I ever think I'll have the time, I may start a separate blog, as I believe most of you are hear to read about our sweet 13 month old boy. :) Nathan is now saying "Uh Oh" and Please (peez). He has a very sweet demeanor - he goes to bed happy and wakes up happy.

To catch you up: I am a science and math teacher* at a charter school** with in Denver Public Schools (DPS). I teach two 8th grade science classes and 2 mixed grade (6-8) math classes. I also have a study hall that is mixed middle school grades.

The school serves the community of Montbello. The school has been under-performing in regard to CSAP scores and declining enrollment. The board brought in consultants from a charter school in Ft. Collins that is highly ranked nationally to help. The first step was replacing administration and most of the staff. As you might expect, this transition has been hard on the community (most of which was not aware of the under-performance). The school culture is in transition as well, and the kids are a bit rebellious. As such, staff turnover has been a huge issue (as you might expect since I joined mid-year).

*How am I a teacher? I am Highly Qualified to teach Science through my educational background. We are hopeful my MBA will qualify me to teach math, otherwise I will take the test. I have a Statement of Eligibility from the Colorado Department of Education that gives me three years to get my teaching credential. I'll start that process in August.

**What is a charter school, you ask? A charter school is a public school operated by a group of parents, teachers, or community members as a semi-autonomous school of choice within a school district. DPS charter schools operate under a contract between the members of the charter school and the Denver Public Schools Board of Education. As a semi-autonomous public school, a charter school has the ability to establish and implement its own educational program, curriculum, personnel practices, budget and operations according to its charter. A charter school may seek waivers from state regulations and district policies. However, they must follow all federal and state laws. I am not a member of a teacher's union.