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Sarah Plum

K-5 Resources for Diverse Classrooms

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You are here: Home / Other / Teacher by Design

Teacher by Design

June 30, 2012 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 5 Comments

Teaching has always been in the cards for me, thought I didn’t recognize it until after I started college and began to figure out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It shouldn’t have taken me that long because from an early age I was obsessed with two things: learning and office supplies. (Seriously, I spent my birthday money, allowance money, tooth fairy money, and lemonade stand money on office supplies.)

I was that kid that — with near-perfect handwriting and a box of organized-by-color crayons — was waving their hand in the air, desperate to contribute to class discussions. I simply couldn’t get enough knowledge stuffed into my rather large noggin’. The subject matter didn’t much matter (though I am a bit of a bookworm and science nerd) so long as I was learning about something.

I wasn’t born this way. (Insert Lady Gaga anthem here.) I didn’t come pre-wired with the incredible thirst for experiencing the world and constructing knowledge. I didn’t even come pre-wired with the organizational skills of Martha Stewart (contrary to what my friends and family might secretly profess).

I was molded. Molded by teachers; in-school, and in the home. I was encouraged to question everything around me, and I was indulged when the questions kept flowing from my very curious brain. I had teachers in early elementary that absolutely made a mark upon the core of who I am, so much so that in my late 20’s I have very vivid memories of what it meant to be a learner in their classroom.

And so when I finally realized that I wouldn’t be happy in any career that lacked a constant growth in knowledge and understanding… well, I realized that I had to be a teacher. I had to be a teacher because I couldn’t nurture my curiosity as a life-long learner any other way. But most importantly, I had to be a teacher because I wouldn’t be able to make sure there are other children-turned-teenagers-turned-adults like me — that love to learn for the sake of learning — if I didn’t do the teaching myself.

Here I am, a recent graduate with a Masters in Elementary Education about to embark on my first full-time teaching position in second grade come September. I’m overwhelmed in the best possible way by what lies ahead, and couldn’t be more thankful that I woke up and smelled the fresh box of crayons and followed my passion a few years ago.

I decided to document this journey and be a participant in this teaching blog community for many reasons, the greatest of which is it’s the single best professional development tool I’ve taken part in. On any given day I read hundreds of posts from men and women that have become mentor teachers to me — though we may not have directly communicated — and it’s made me a much better educator.

While I’m the new kid on the block, I hope to bring something to the table and contribute to this incredible community of dedicated teachers. There’s honestly nowhere I’d rather be (okay, okay, if Hogwarts was real I’d rather be there… but you would rather be there too, and you know it!).

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Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Meet the Teacher

Comments

  1. Mrs. Parker says

    July 1, 2012 at 4:02 am

    Welcome to the world of teaching! Your first year teaching is exhausting and amazing all at the same time. Best wishes. Look forward to reading about your adventure.

    Reply
    • Mrs. Plum says

      July 1, 2012 at 4:55 am

      Thank you so much! After surviving student-teaching (that's a blog post for another day), I am conditioned to tackle this first year… though I know it will be exhausting.

      Reply
  2. Heather's Heart says

    July 1, 2012 at 9:28 am

    Welcome to blogging and to the beginning of an amazing journey. I am amazed each day about how much blogging has inspired me to be a better teacher. I wish blogs were around during my first year of teaching. I am so excited to be your newest follower. If you ever need anything just let me know.

    I would love for you to hop on over to my blog when you get the chance. I would love for you to read about Conscious Discipline. It is truly the most amazing thing I have ever learned in my 12 years of teaching. It is all about building your school family. You have to read my post about the job of the Cheerleader…it is the cutest and sweetest thing ever! =)

    Heather
    Heather's Heart

    Reply
    • Mrs. Plum says

      July 1, 2012 at 1:28 pm

      Thank you so much! I've read about Conscious Discipline a bit before, and it sounds like such an amazing thing. I'm eager to read about it in action in your classroom, so I'm heading right over!

      Reply
  3. YearntoLearn says

    July 2, 2012 at 2:02 am

    A happy hello to blogging. Summer is a great time to get started.

    Yearn to Learn Blog

    Reply

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About the Author

Sarah Plum(itallo) is a teacher of emerging multilinguals and 21st Century Grant coordinator in Virginia. She writes curriculum for inclusive classrooms and presents professional development on a variety of topics.

Read more about Sarah and her background in education here.

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