I'm now beginning teaching my first year at UWSP and have just finished teaching three years at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. I'm originally from Utah where I grew up, was educated in the public school system, and then became a teacher myself. I taught grades 6-9, but mostly 8th grade. When I began my teaching career, I taught in a Resource Room setting. At that time, all students were pulled out of their general education classrooms to receive special help. I worked in this setting for 6 1/2 years.
At the beginning of my 6th year, I felt burned out and asked my principal if I could move into the general education setting the following year. He was reluctant, because there weren't enough people to fill special education positions, but he said he would keep me in mind.
Then one Friday afternoon about halfway through the year, he came into my room and informed me that one of the teachers had resigned and I was qualified for the position. If I wanted it, I had to let him know before I left for the weekend (that was in 20 minutes!) and I had to start Monday morning. I knew it would place a burden on other people, but after 19 1/2 minutes, I went to his office and said "Yes." The other people on my team understood. They could sense I was burned out, too.
Luckily, for me, the teacher I replaced had not been well-liked by either the students or the parents. So what could have been a disaster, became an excellent experience. One of the first things I noticed was how well students could work on their own. I hadn't had this experience in the Resource Room. I also found that keeping track of all the assignments for over 200 students per day was more difficult that I had ever imagined. Just think of it - if each student has 10 assignments per semester - that's 2000 assignments! Yes, I misplaced some of them.
Toward the end of my teaching career, I gravitated to wanting to work with the very bright students - those on the other end of the spectrum. I enjoyed this experience a great deal, however, these students bring their own challenges and problems. Any teacher of the gifted can tell you about them. Just ask.
After I had finished my Masters degree, I decided I was finished, finished, finished with school forever. But.....an opportunity came along for me to return and earn a Ph.D. I took three years to do this - which is very fast. My school district gave me a leave of absence and paid half my salary the first year. The last two years I received substantial grants. On top of that, I spent all my savings and most of my inheritance! Maybe some of you can relate?
Anyway, I don't regret any of it and am enjoying living in Wisconsin and teaching at UWSP. The students in Kansas were very hardworking. I appreciate this quality a great deal. I hope the students at UWSP will be the same.
All my life I had heard that mid-westerners were kind, decent, salt-of-the-earth type people. Now that I have lived in Wisconsin for a couple of weeks and Kansas for a couple of years, I can say that I fully agree.
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