Politics

So today in our orientation, they had representatives from the Teacher's Union speak to us on the benefits of becoming a member. Apparently the union does a lot more than just keep a lunch hour for teachers. From what they were saying, they also work really hard to keep a good school board together, and work to get excellent superintendent elected. I guess in our district, they had a really poor superintendent, and they worked night and day to get the present guy elected. (who by the way is amazing!) The focus of the district is not to improve AIMS scores (the Arizona exam to prove you know enough material to pass high school), but rather to provide support to the students to become well-rounded citizens.

I absolutely love their mission statement..... "Preparing every student for success in career, college, and life." I love it! Not every student is destined for college life or even becoming the next Bill Gates. But every student needs to leave high school prepared for LIFE. Knowing how to research information to make an informed decision when voting, knowing how to fill out a job application, know how to balance a checkbook, know how to ask important medical questions to make an informed decision. This is incredible.

Back to the union.... I was hesitant to join as the fees will come out to be about $31 per paycheck (which after my take-home, is quite a lot!). But, another word of caution I received in my MA degree is to make sure to carry liability insurance. As a science teacher, I was singled out and specifically told to carry a policy to protect myself. As part of the union, my liability insurance is covered. If a kid slices their hand open with a scalpel in a laboratory exercise, I could be sued. Thanks to my membership with the union, they will have a very difficult time ever taking the matter to court.

I am hoping I made the right decision. So much of what I am doing right now I am unsure of. Did I make the right decision to switch rooms? Did I make the right decision regarding what to put up on the walls of my classroom? Was that a good idea to steal the table from the empty classroom next door? Can I put holes in the wall in my classroom? Does my syllabus provide students with enough information to succeed to my expectations? Being so unsure is very unsettling, but kind of exciting. I know I made the right decision going in to teaching, and I know I made the right decision when I accepted the job at my school - but the unknown is still something I am getting used to.

I also elected to participate in a scholarship program through my district. For $5 per paycheck, I became part of the 100 club and am now eligible for drawings to win sports tickets, gift cards, etc.... Plus, the money from my check stays right in my district and is given to a student based on their academic and extra-curriciluar achievements. This does make me feel good - even though I have spent about $200 purchasing materials to get ready for my classroom, I still really enjoy the fact that part of my salary is going straight back to the kids. I am hoping this philosophy doesn't change as I put more and more hours in to my new career!