Introduction
Hi everyone! My name is Amy Mekeel.
Image Source: Personal Image
Career
This is my 14th year teaching. Man, time flies! I can remember my first year of teaching like it was yesterday. For the last 14 years, I have taught only middle school students. For the last three years, I've been an 8th grade Math and Social Studies teacher at Heritage Middle School in Summit. Before that, I taught at St. Francis Xavier in LaGrange and St. Edmund in Oak Park. St. Edmund closed back in 2016. When Covid hit last March, I thought it would be an excellent time to go back to school. Last May, I started with my ESL Endorsement at Dominican University and then decided to continue with a Masters of Arts in Education by adding technology courses.
Hobbies
I love being active and doing anything outdoors. My husband and I try to hike different Forest Preserve Trails a few times a month.
Image Source: Personal Image
I purchased a stationary cycle bike during Covid, which has been a lifesaver when it's too cold to go outside. I love my bike because there are various workouts you can do, some of which you can bike to scenic places in the world. You literally feel like you are there, and it helps to distract you from what you are actually doing. WORKING OUT! I highly suggest looking into one for anyone out there who wants to work out but in an exciting and entertaining way.
Current State of Mind
This is my first official blog, so I feel a little nervous. I have so much to learn, but I am excited and open to the wonderful new opportunities I hope to get through this class.
Image Source: GIFHY
I haven't taken so many naps in a long time.
Greetings form a fellow Southwest suburbanite! I commend you for taking the next step in furthering your career in education! The lockdown truly provided time for lots of people to take a step toward their goals.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to you when you say that you missed building a community with your students. Are you back in person while your students are still e-learning? I am sure your students feel the same and miss their peers and teachers dearly. I am fortunate enough to be in person with my students in early childhood. It would definitely be a challenge to have remote learning with such young children when we can barely get them to sit for circle time.
I wish you and your students the best of luck this school year!
Hi Trixie! We are back in person now, and I can't even begin to tell you how excited and happy my students are. I hope we get to stay in person all year.
DeleteWelcome to blogging! It looks like you are off to a good start. Like you, my husband and I love to try new forest preserve trails as well. We are so fortunate to live in an area that has so many options. Your GIF was highly appropriate and I'm sure many other educators will appreciate it. Getting started with a new school year is always exciting and busy and even crazier when you through graduate school and a pandemic into the mix! Looking forward to learning with you this fall.
ReplyDeleteHi Amy! Its so good to hear from other educators and hear how they are doing during these times. I started teaching Fall of 2019, so I got just a taste of what it's like to teach without any additional stipulations. But I have to ask, when you first started teaching 14 years ago, how was it? I feel that the district I work in is throwing new curriculum, new technology, new everything at us every year (and I have only been teaching for 3 years in the same district). I understand we live in a fast-paced world full of technology and need to adjust to our students' needs, but sometimes it would be nice to slow down a bit and see if what we are using is working rather than switching to the "next best thing."
ReplyDeleteOn a lighter note, I never realized how many trails there were in Cook County alone! That is so amazing! And the bike you got looks very nice. I've never heard of that one, but to me that seems way better than that company Peloton that's advertised everywhere. - Also, how do you stay so motivated to work out and exercise? For me, I feel like it's such a chore, lol.
-Well, I wish you the best this year and look forward to learning more about technology with you during this course! :)
Hi Marisa! Things have changed a lot in the last 14 years, especially when it comes to technology. I remember having one desktop computer in my classroom. I also started off teaching in a Catholic school which is very different than a public school. I am happy I made the switch to a public school for financial reasons and more professional growth opportunities. I wish I would have done it sooner, but I was comfortable and enjoyed working with my colleagues.
DeleteI try to work out a few times a week for 25-30 minutes. I do it right when I get home. If I wait, I won't have the energy to do it. It becomes routine once you get in a good groove, and I actually start feeling bad if I don't do it. The bike I bought was WAY cheaper than a Peloton, but it honestly does the same things.