Today I got Internet at my new house! It was an exciting day that I've been waiting for a bit better than two weeks. The fun of rural North Dakota! I will not be posting daily. However, I will post 2-3 times per week and I will continue posting only positive and uplifting things on Fridays. It's a nice way for me to end the week.

I'm beginning at a new school located a few miles away from the edge of the Earth. I'll be teaching science full time (rather than part math and part science). Furthermore, the students are in grades 10, 11, and 12, so they have a bit more maturity than the mix I've taught previously.

My description of my previous school has been rather harsh due to my experiences with the NEA there.  However, I want to start my year on a positive note. Important point: I will not criticize my current employer except in the most generic, non-specific way. I want to look back at my work history and some of the lessons (good and bad) that I've carried away.

1. Rural Pennsylvania school
What an education! I graduated from this school. I took the job there as a math teacher because it was short term and I'd already accepted a position in North Dakota (it started half a year later).

I learned limits in a BIG way. I'd gone to school with some of my students. I learned the importance of discipline, professional distance between teacher and student, and the importance of time management. I also learned how important an administrator is to a school. This job was also a good reminder that I did not want to be a math teacher.

2. Remote Rural North Dakota School
This job came as a shock. I remember driving into the town and going down Main Street and wondering when I'd get to the town. Nevertheless, this was a nice town. I learned that elderly widows adopt single bachelors as surrogate sons.

I was also shocked to be teaching 6 different science courses. The first year, none of them were in my major (Physics). I really learned time management as well as a lot about science. I also discovered the importance of organization. The lab was a horrible mess when I arrived.

Along the way, I learned to grow a backbone. Parents and administrators like high standards, except when it affects them. A lab accident that nearly blinded me also reminded me of the importance of lab safety.

3. Rural North Dakota School (not so remote)
Having developed confidence as a teacher, I realized that the remote town offered me very little opportunity for growth. I accepted a new position in a slightly larger school, but in which I continued the same sort of job.

At this school I learned the importance of curriculum standards. Instead of focusing on the textbook, I learned to focus on standards. Along the way, I discovered Linux (how to set it up in a classroom), Blackboard (an e-learning program), and finally bought my own computer.

I also learned how easy it was to "kill myself" teaching. Further along, I bought my first house and, 1 year later, began thinking of my future beyond the next few years. This school would not last. It was running out of kids. The final kick in the pants came from a threat of a lawsuit from another teacher who felt I should teach out of a textbook.

4. Small Town North Dakota School
I moved on to the school that has provided fodder for many of my blogs. This one would stay open. I got to teach Math and Science, and I got to give up the life sciences and junior high. Oddly, I had some misgivings about this school and even turned down the job a few times. The threat of the lawsuit came when they called me a few months later to re-offer the job.

I suppose I went in with a bad attitude, but I kept telling myself the job would be what I wanted it to be. At this school, I learned the vital importance of staff morale. I also learned how ugly a school can be when teachers and administrators do not trust each other.

On a good note, I had an excellent principal who was organized, set high standards, and was a strong disciplinarian. I grew by realizing that administrators, while still "the boss", are not the enemy. I had a professional friendly relationship with that principal that continues now even though we've both left this school.

I also learned how to teach in a larger school. Large class sizes require totally different techniques than small classes

5. Small Town North Dakota School at the Edge of the Earth
I'm starting this job with a positive attitude and without the chip on my shoulder about administrators. It's too soon to find out whether these administrators are good, bad, or average, but I'm willing to let them show me.

I've been impressed most by the way this school makes its new teachers feel like they are actually wanted. There have been several events special for new teachers. A lot of it was review for me, but I appreciate the effort very much. I wish something like this had been done when I started working at the beginning of my career.