From Boston to Baton Rouge

Yesterday I arrived in Baton Rouge. It was a hectic morning that involved helping Andie repack her bag so it was under the weight limit, waiting in the longest security line, and running to our gate. What is traveling without a little bit of chaos, right? I have so many mixed emotions flowing through me. This is a start to a new and exciting adventure in my life. Whenever I feel sad about leaving my life in Boston behind I just remember all of the children that I will be working with and hopefully helping.

I would like to work with my students and get them involved in the community. The dictionary defines service learning as ‘the incorporation of community service within an educational system.’ Making service a part of the course requirements is a very knowledgeable thing include in academia. I believe that not only will helping in the community broaden the horizons of many students but it will also have an impact. Community-based learning is an opportunity for students to learn in a new way. It is an opportunity to actually decide what the student cares about the most. Douglas Adams once said "To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.”  Service is the accomplishment of work to benefit others. To do service for others is a selfless act and not only benefits others but is beneficial to the person that did the service. To help someone else by taking time and dedication and doing it honestly without expecting anything in return is what service means to me. I would like to teach this to my classroom and get them excited about being a global citizen.

I would also like to work on time management and organizational skills. These are very important no matter what career path is chosen. I want to make learning fun. Ron Clark is one of my role models and co-founded a charter school in Atlanta, Georgia. From the website it states, “Our approaches are very out-of-the-box and innovative, and we enjoy sharing our methods for instilling a passion for learning and helping all children achieve great levels of success.” I want to think out-of-the-box and be innovative when working with my classroom. I want to make children excited to learn by incorporating hands on activities that get students up and out of their seats.

I am so excited for my first day of training and even more excited for when I have a classroom of my own. I have been brainstorming various activities to do the first day in order to set the correct tone for the entire school year. I think I have a few brilliant ideas. Well, I have a few days to enjoy Louisiana before induction start. Then next Sunday it is off to Mississippi for five weeks of 16-hour days. I can do it! I am in love with Baton Rouge.