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Writer's pictureCook In The Classroom

My Teacher Journey: How My Journey Led Me Here

Welcome to my teaching blog!  I am very eager and excited to share my classroom with you.  My name is Ty Cook and I teach 7th grade life science.  This is my third year teaching science in the same classroom and I taught social studies at the high school level for one year prior to teaching science.  My teacher journey has not been a typical path to the classroom.  My first college degree was a Bachelor’s of Business from the University of Georgia.  I worked in finance and accounting for a few years (still unsure of what I wanted to truly do).  I truly value my first degree and work experience, but I knew deep down I was not fulfilled in that profession.  I had always dreamed of becoming a teacher and one day being able to inspire children the way that I had been inspired by so many incredible teachers along the way.

I went back to become a teacher and received my Master’s in Education Degree in 2014.  With the goal of teaching high school social studies, I set out in search of a job.  After many failed attempts, interviews, and countless rejections, I was approached by a former professor who had an opening at his charter school.  The position opened up during the last week of summer break at an elementary charter school.  Although I had never taught elementary school before, I was desperate for a job and interviewed for the 4th grade position.  Of all the positions I had interviewed for, I felt the least equipped and prepared for this particular one.  Naturally, I was chosen for the position and began teaching the following week.

I will never forget my first day teaching.  My classroom was located in the gym–construction for their school’s expansion had run behind and four teachers were placed in the gym with wall partitions as the only classroom “walls.”  The noise was unbearably loud and the conditions were not ideal.  I was given a classroom of students who had looped up with their teacher THREE years in a row due to their behavior.  She was a phenomenal teacher.  I on the other hand, was not.  I floundered in the classroom for weeks, unable to manage my student’s behavior, teach the simplest of lessons, or barely make it through the day without breaking down in tears.  My anxiety level had never been higher and I felt panic attacks coming on each day as I entered the school.

I am not a person who accepts failure readily or has found myself in the position of not being capable of a task I set out to complete; however, in this moment I came to the conclusion that not only was I not able to teach elementary school, I was also not the teacher these students so desperately deserved.  I felt like I was doing the students a disservice and turned in my notice the following morning.  This was a very low moment in my life as I felt I had made an absolute mistake going back to become a teacher.  I questioned if my dream of becoming had been just that–something that was merely an idea in my head.  Perhaps the idea would never become a reality.  Perhaps I was not equipped a teacher and what I hoped to become would never come to fruition.  Rejection, failure, and guilt were the things that weighed heavily on me as I was now at home, unemployed, and uncertain of the future.

A month or so later I received a phone call from my teacher idol, Mrs. Lane.  She was my high school social studies teacher all four years of high school and someone I deeply respected.  She is a huge part of why I became a teacher.  She let me know the department head where I attended high school would be out for many months on leave and asked if I would be willing to long-term sub at the school.  The class was AP US History and AP Economics and I jumped at the opportunity.  Still shaken and nervous from my recent experience, I knew if I did not get back on the proverbial horse that I may never actually follow my dream.

The first day of school, my second first day in one school year, had me in a state of panic.  I barely slept the night before, tossing and turning, worrying that I might have another tragic end result.  To my surprise, the next day was a teacher memory I will never forget.  As I interacted with each class and began to get to know the students, I felt my heart rising and confidence building.  The next days and months to come were challenging, as all new teaching experiences are, but I realized that my first experience would not define the rest of my teaching career.  I had not allowed myself to be defeated by my first failure and refused to give up on my dream.

While I was long-term subbing, the school asked me to co-teach one period of biology each day.  It was while I was in this classroom, that I realized my love for science.  The teacher in this classroom was phenomenal and a veteran teacher who not only knew her subject, inside and out, but was extremely passionate about teaching.  I quickly developed a new love for science and the hands-on learning that took place in the classroom.  As I continued my long-term sub position and it drew to a close, I constantly sought new opportunities that would land me a full-time teaching position.  I decided to add on a middle grades science certification, among many others, and was lucky enough to have a position open up at the middle school for the upcoming school year.

Middle school was an uncharted territory for me, once again, but I had very few options and was feeling more confident after my recent experience.  My first science interview was for a 7th grade life science position.  I felt more prepared and more experienced than I had before and I envisioned myself as the science teacher who would occupy that classroom.  I wanted the job very badly and had already began to run through my classroom setup, the layout, lesson plans, state standards, labs, and the vision of being my middle school teacher, Mrs. Travillian.  I still remembered her class as if it had just been yesterday.  Her classroom was always fun, upbeat, positive, and hands-on and she was a role model to her students.  I wanted this job to be the one and to be that teacher that students remembered years from now.

After an intense interview, I walked away feeling unsure if I had impressed the principal.  I received a call later that day expecting to be heartbroken, but was shocked when he offered me the position.  I immediately accepted the job and went to work.  My first year teaching middle school was one of the most memorable years of my life.  The year was not without its challenges, sleepless nights, or sheer exhaustion.  I reluctantly become a coach, and practiced every day after school and came home late from cross country meets.  I experienced so many firsts, learned from the teachers around me, and grew tremendously in my first year.  It was through this year that I realized that everything that I had gone through on my journey had led me directly to where I needed to be.  I fell in love with my subject, I explored new ways of teaching, I deeply cared for my students, and felt I had come home as I was teaching at the same middle school I attended.

I want to share my journey that brought me to this very moment with you for an important reason.  There were so many instances where my journey could have gone in so many different directions.  At the time, it was difficult, but I could not be more thankful or feel more grateful that my journey led me to where I am today.  For teachers that are reflecting on their journey, in the midst of it, or soon to begin it, I hope that my story inspires you to stick with it.  I hope that you believe, as I firmly do, that you will end up where you are meant to be even if you cannot figure out where that will be during those trying times.

My goal in beginning this blog is to share with teachers anything I feel may help you along the way.  I plan to share the good, the bad, and the ugly and to be as honest about my journey, as possible.  This is the beginning of my blog and the start of a new journey.  I hope that by me sharing my story, you will also return the favor and help those teachers in your own school, community, or that you connect with whenever you are able.

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