An Introduction

My name is Charity. I grew up a struggling reader in a small town. I was a resource kid, pulled out during class time to work on reading skills. The truth is, I struggled with dyslexia, but I thought I was just stupid. I gave up on myself as a learner by the time I hit second grade. I knew I was stupid, and who had ever heard of a cure for stupidness?

By the time I hit third grade I was in school to have friends, that was it. I excelled socially, I loved school for recess (why any school would think about taking recess away is unbelievable!). But I had a third grade teacher who was awesome, Mrs. Hurst. She loved me, I could feel it. She loved all of us. I remember swearing at lunch one day (she always ate lunch with us) that all of my children and grandchildren would one day have her for a teacher.

Even though I had a great teacher, I still knew I was the stupid kid in class. I had an honest fear that I would be held back at the end of each grade school year. When I reached fifth grade I had a teacher, who arranged a class play, AND I had a very important role, a maid in King Midas. You may not think that sounds important, but I still remember the important apron that I wore, and even some of the lines! I can remember this teacher reading Summer of the Monkeys out loud to us. I loved it when he read to us, but I still hated to read myself. It must have been because I was the dumb kid. All of the other kids loved to read!

Sixth grade, I had a teacher who loved blue eyeshadow. I loved blue eyeshadow, what sixth grader doesn't, right? So we were friends, bonded by the blue. I remember beginning to wear makeup. Girls who would come to school with too orange of cover up, or too rosy of cheeks. But never too blue of eyeshadow, there was no such thing! I still love blue eyeshadow to this day!

But even more important than the eyeshadow, I was pulled out of class - but not because I was in the "dumb club" but because I was smart!?!  Who would have thought. This awesome teacher did her own assessments and didn't pay attention to the assessments looming over the students who had been labeled "resource" long ago. I was going to get straight A's for the rest of my life, and I knew it because of my 6th grade teacher who made me feel smart!

Well middle school came, I did get straight A's until I found out I was now a part of a different club. I had moved from the "dumb club" to the "nerd club." Crap. You can't be a nerd in middle school, or life will end! Cease to exist on the spot, what a silly girl I was (the ultimate insult in Austin's world.)! Before my love of learning came my love of socializing. So, I strategically pulled B's and C's, and was careful to only get A's in the classes that everyone got A's in, like Home Economics and P.E.

By the time I hit high school, my life at home was in such turmoil, I reverted to my first label of myself. I knew I wasn't smart, I refused to read any books my teachers would assign. Until my junior year, when I had an awesome teacher, Mrs. White, who inspired me at least try to read the books she would assign. I think I read 20 pages in a novel about the Korean war (nice place to start reading, right, nothing like a light read). That was a record. I wasn't convinced about the reading thing totally, but she introduced me to poetry, short stories, the idea of writing to create for myself! She believed in my ability, and I could feel it! She expected me to go to college and do something amazing! So, largely because of her, and parents who expected nothing less, I enrolled in college (at which I would fail out the first time around).

Amazingly enough, I made it through college, even if it wasn't until after I had two children! Thanks to the support of an amazing, no awesome, husband, I am a college graduate, and I teach English to kids who generally hate reading, hate writing, and like myself, don't yet know all that they are capable of. I currently teach English and Journalism in high school. I am certified to teach English and ESL. I became a teacher because I love the idea that I can inspire others to go out into the world and do great things, because they have found a piece of them self to build upon. Hopefully, I help my students find a piece to their puzzle in my English class, just like my awesome teachers did for me growing up!

 My goal, in creating this blog, is to inspire other teachers to become awesome teachers, and to celebrate all teachers in their journey toward awesomeness. Teaching is such a rewarding opportunity in life. We all teach, weather we have a classroom or not. So I hope that you will take my learning moments and make them your learning moment, so we can learn to be awesome together!