Another year of teaching for the history books! This was my first full year of teaching high school. I don’t count my year of student teaching because I was not getting paid. I also don’t count my half year at Excelsior in Arcadia because it was simply not a traditional school, and subsequently not really comparable with all of my other years of experience.
So how did it all go? I would have to say it most definitely was my best year of teaching since my 3rd year. That was my second year at RKMS, and really, it was the cohort of students that was unforgettable. But that could have been due to the circumstances of the school, which really allowed me to connect with students on a different level – through field trips, Builder’s Club events (which I had more time for back then), and of course the trauma bonding that formed with many of the teachers whom I still talk with to this day.
I’m happy to say that the switch from middle school to high school was worth it in the end. My regular classes of 10th grade World History were still pretty stellar, despite a chaotic 5th period class. Even so, that chaotic energy that they harnessed was really nothing compared to what I had to deal with previously at other schools. Students liked the energy that my lessons ultimately brought, and it was nice dealing with students that knew how to read and write, and simultaneously came to school with pencils and ready to learn. I stopped giving out supplies, which subsequently stopped burning a hole in my wallet. And though some sophomores ended up being more immature than others, the overall energy of 95% of the class was always positive and uplifting, restoring my faith in humanity just a little.
The biggest challenge, of course, of starting anew was adapting to the teaching confines of the International Baccalaureate Program, and subsequently teaching HL History, a very complicated history class that involved the integration of historical perspectives. I had a lot of self-doubt along the way and felt like my teaching tactics were incompatible with the program. I try to involve students in as many dynamic and fun activities as possible. While trying to do that, I had to balance test prep and subsequently prepare them for the IB exam, which essentially involved 6 different essays on pre-selected topics that they had to write at the end of the year. In the end, the students graded me on a curve and said I did well “despite being a first-year HOTA teacher.” Their gratefulness will encourage me to keep going and to work harder to get better and better for the future generation of students. Still, there’s something about teaching IB students. They were great and hard-working prior to even having me, so my impact on them at the end of the day is quite limited. They will continue to be great and hard-working as most of them enter their dream schools.
I felt like I wasn’t exactly giving 100% all year either. And this was mostly due to having to raise a baby at home, leading to many sleepless nights, especially in the earlier months. This also meant I had limited opportunities to really interact with students outside of school hours, though, which made our connections a bit weaker overall. Still, I did as much as I could to make positive relationships with students as Advisor to Speech and Debate, Model UN, and of course South Asian Student Association. I hope next year I’ll do a better job with Speech and Debate and actually go to tournaments. The planning and execution of two field trips – to Mendez Tribute Monument Park (mostly useless) and UCLA – allowed me to at least see some of my favorite students in a new environment.
Of course, the social politics of adjusting to a new school are quite clear. I can say with 100% certainty that the teachers at Dale were vastly superior and more motivated than the teachers at Kennedy High School. Perhaps it’s best said by my principal, who told me middle school teachers are in it for their love of students while high school teachers are in it for the love of the content. I personally love neither.
In the end, despite raising a baby, I think I still gave this year as much effort as I could, and I hope to continue growing in the years to come. I would say my teaching energy has been revitalized by the greatness in many of the students I’ve seen this year, both in regular World History and in the IB program. And so, in the words of Robert Frost, I will have miles to go before I sleep.
