From The Teacher's Desk: An Introduction
Hello NWI from the trenches of teaching virtually!
My name is Kathy Hadley, a special education and English teacher at Chesterton Middle School since 2013. I have worked in education since 2004 (after staying home to raise my boys), starting as a paraprofessional at Chesterton High School before moving on to Ben Franklin Middle School (in Valparaiso), before ending up here at CMS.
This virtual teaching has been a huge challenge, to say the least! I have never worked harder as a teacher, and I hear that from so many of my colleagues.
Virtual teaching is not why we decided to be teachers. We all love the interaction with students--and each other--as well as the actual teaching. For me specifically, I miss watching faces to see comprehension or confusion, the discussions we have that lead somewhere no one would have thought, the fun puns and sarcasm I often use--these are all missing.
The energy I gain from the students and my fellow teachers is gone. Almost everything I have been doing in education for the last 16 years is absent from my life.
New Challenges Require New Solutions
We are now teaching each other different methods of technology, ways to teach lessons with videos, along with other new technology we have never used. We email and text and call each other to support one another, because we are all feeling lost, sad, and frustrated.
How do we support these students who become like our own after a few months in the classroom during this turbulent time?
How do we support students’ social emotional needs?
How do we ensure they are ready for the next grade next year? Are they really comprehending the lessons?
What if they have questions, but don’t want to ask?
These, and so many other worries fill our days--and nights.
My own hope is that this pandemic will calm down enough that we can return to school in August. I miss “my kids” and my role as a classroom educator. I miss my colleagues. I miss my classroom!
More About Mrs. Hadley
I have adult sons, daughters-in-law, and a wonderfully supportive husband; we also have two pups who are my loves (they are lab mixes and so fun!). I absolutely love the ocean, reading, and traveling. I was born in Hawaii, grew up in Massachusetts, vacationed every summer for a month or more in Maine, and moved to Ann Arbor when I was in high school. I also lived in Olympia, Washington for 7 years with my husband and children!
I have worked in education since 2004 (after staying home to raise my boys). I started as a paraprofessional at Chesterton High School, taught at Ben Franklin Middle School (in Valparaiso), and I am currently (since 2013) at Chesterton Middle School. My bachelor’s degree is in Secondary English, and I have a Masters degree in Special Education; my licensure is Secondary English/Reading/Speech and K-12 Special Education.
I have a current caseload of 23 special education students with a variety of eligibilities: learning disabilities in math/English, OHI (which includes ADHD, anxiety disorders, and other medical disabilities), as well as students with emotional and behavioral challenges. I teach 7th and 8th grade English to students who are at a very low instructional level--usually 2-4 grade levels under their current grade.
I also team teach in three English classes, assisting the general education English teachers with differentiating, as well as planning and executing lessons.
I love teaching grammar and writing, but also find a lot of enjoyment in finding creative ways to teach reading comprehension!
Final Thoughts
Support teachers, as you can, by communicating with them any ways they can be helpful to your children. We need feedback, as well as positive vibes.
Until next week, stay safe and well!