I started this blog six years ago as a way to document things that I'd observed and even learned during my time as a teacher in the very complicated New Orleans charter school system (and a brief stint in Jefferson Parish). I wanted this blog to be a support resource for other teachers, especially those who were not from New Orleans and had no idea what they were jumping into. However, staying true to my profession meant not writing nor promoting the blog as much as I would have liked. Some of these posts are still relevant and worth reading, but I also suggest following Mercedes Schneider's blog, Deutsch 29, for the real scoop on the politics of the Louisiana system and other teaching topics.
I finally made the leap out of the N.O. Ed system. I moved to Texas at the end of the July and am teaching in the true suburbs- a full 45 minutes outside of Dallas. I made this change at the peak of the pandemic, amidst riots and political fervor, and did not look back. Taking on a new job, city, state, standards and life during a pandemic was an intense choice. The culture here is very different. The standards here are VERY different. And the pandemic has put a strain on teachers that is like nothing I have ever seen, heard of or experienced. But with this I am still grateful to be at the school that I am at. Administrative management is minimal; there are a LOT of administrative tasks that fall on teacher shoulders, but no one is watching and checking all of the time so I feel a little room to breathe as I adjust, and my academic dean has been an absolute Godsend and I would give her all of the dollars in the world for her amazing work and support.
This year, I am teaching two preps: Creative writing and English II online, and am facilitating a virtual Spanish I class. All told I have 213 students this semester (I will be getting new, and more, creative writing students next semester). I was absolutely thrilled to find that I would be teaching Creative Writing. It was a dream come true (and something that almost made me take another job that was offering me that and English I). But I am not teaching this class as fully as I would like, as having five online classes takes a lot of management. But, the students like it and I have brought them some fun lessons on occasions and that feels like good teaching.
In these seven weeks of teaching I have started to learn a lot of about the teaching and learning culture in this town. While I am no longer chronicling the hurdles in New Orleans, I will continue to write about the bigger picture of education in the United States as seen through this new lens.
