Interviews with Teachers and Staff who are new to their jobs, into more depth of what it's like:

All new to their postions in Saint Joseph School

Mrs. Lopez:

What’s it like being a new principal?

There has been a lot to learn, and it's definitely a big learning curb for me. People used to tell me what to know and when to know. And I definitely don’t know what to know. There's are a lot to know!

What is a blessing and what is difficult about this job?

A blessing is that all the students and parents in our community are really wonderful; and I think it is a great blessing to work with this community.  The challenges come with all the paperwork and the emails. The job never stops!

Are you considering staying and maintaining this job for the future?

Yes, definitely and even though there is a lot of work I plan on staying for a while.

How much work is there being a principal?

A lot, it doesn’t stop, it is 24/7, 365 days. It just never stops.

Before you took on this job, how much work did you assume there was going to be? Did you expect it to be this certain amount?

I was not surprised by all the work, and I saw that the job was going to be hard from watching Mrs. Calton and Mrs. Mendoza.

Do you like your job? Can it be fun at times?

Yes, it can be very fun. Getting to know all the kids in the school can be a lot of fun!

What do you plan to do differently for next year since this year is about to end?

I plan to have more activities and the calendar to be more organized. I think that there are a few things that need adjustments such as buddy activities, bags for the homeless. Spend more time to walk around the classrooms to watch the students and spend time with them.

Miss. Amanda:

What’s it like being a new teacher?

Being a new teacher is half teaching students, and half learning new things myself! Everyday, I'm helping students learn their foundational ELA/Math/etc. concepts, and also learning about what works best for each student and for me as an educator. I feel like I'm always picking other teachers' brains on how to be a better teacher!

What is a blessing and what is difficult about this job?

There are so many blessings about this job, but my favorite is being with students during their “light bulb/a-ha!” moments. The difficult part about this job is how fast time can fly by — I sit down to finally eat lunch, and suddenly recess is over and I'm back to teaching!

Are you considering staying and maintaining this job for the future?

I would love to stay in education for the future! No career path is ever set in stone, but I'm having such a great time that I don't believe I will be leaving anytime soon.

How much work is there being a teacher?

So much! I'm still trying to find a balance between doing work that needs to be done and making time for myself. 

Before you took on this job, how much work did you assume there was going to be? Did you expect it to be this certain amount?

You don't enter the education field without veteran teachers letting you know that being a teacher is hard and laborious work... and they're right! I knew it would be a lot of work, but I suppose I didn't realize just how many emails I would be sending and meetings I'd be scheduling! 

Do you like your job? Can it be fun at times?

I love this job! There are plenty of moments of joy and fun that happen in first grade — way too many to count.

What do you plan to do differently for next year since this year is about to end?

I plan on being more organized next year! Over summer break, I really want to rearrange certain parts of the classroom that not only make me feel prepared and organized, but also in a way will best benefit student learning.