THS vs DFJHS

As many of you may know I (Todd) am a Spanish teacher. Last year I was an intern at Timpanogos High School. An internship in education replaces student teaching. We've all had that annoying student teacher in high school. Ya know, the one who all the students took advantage of and learned nothing? As opposed to a student teacher, an intern takes complete control of the class on day one, all year long. I didn't have a cooperating teacher who held my hand week by week until I felt comfortable enough to stand in front of the class and teach for the whole time. I walked in the first day of school with 30 students staring at me thinking "All right Senor, you got some Spanish teaching for me?" And this happened day after day for the whole year. Obviously this was a little more demanding and stressful than student teaching, and so I got paid a whopping 1st year teacher's HALF salary. "Honey, we're having steak tonight!" Full benefits was actually included which paid for 99.9% of Lexi's pregnancy and Gavin's birth.

Being an intern, I was a part of the teacher team at THS. I got my own school shirt, my own mailbox in the faculty room, everything a teacher dreams of. I really did love it there I am so glad I was inspired to intern, because not only did I have an enjoyable, memorable and learning experience, but it prepared me for my future career of teaching. Unfortunately they couldn't offer me a job and hire me on for the 2010-11 school year, so I had to go job searching, which led me to...

Diamond Fork Jr. High. DFJHS is located in Spanish Fork, so it's about a 20 minute commute, not bad. Now I am a regular teacher, so I get a FULL first year teachers salary. PLUS, I teach extended day (I teach all 7 periods without a prep period), so I get paid even more for that. Quite a raise! The class periods are 45 minutes. So at 8:00 am, about 30 students come in, I do my thing, they leave and 5 minutes later 30 more come in, and I repeat all day for 7 total periods. It gets pretty crazy keeping track of everything. The best way to express the difference between the 2 schools is by creating another Pros chart:

THS Pros:

• Close to home (I road my bike most of the year)
• Living in school boundaries (I see my students at the mall, grocery stores, etc which I think is fun)
• Creativity (high school students are generally more creative and fun than jr high students)
• More fun and outgoing assemblies.
• A paid copy lady to do all my copies, 3-whole punching, stapling, etc...
• Classroom close to front office, copy room, etc.
• High schoolers are more mature (usually)
• High schoolers learn concepts quicker (usually)
• Longer class periods to teach and get things done in class
• Amazing benefits.
• Attending football/basketball plays and other events, watching my own students perform.
• Easier acronym to write out
• Timberwolf is a way cooler mascot than a Diamond Back snake. (My sister says a boy must've come up with the diamond back as a mascot for Diamond Fork. So I guess if a girl came up with the mascot it would be the Diamond Fork Rubies?)

DFJHS Pros:

• Huge classroom (it used to be a computer lab)
• Big desk with lots of drawer and closet space.
• Classroom right next to drinking fountain
• Classroom in technology building, which is set aside from main building. So thing aren't as crazy in the hallways between classes, during lunch, before/after school.
• 2 windows in classroom
• YouTube isn't blocked ("I didn't work for 5 days when I discovered that!")
• Shorter class periods, easier to plan and prepare for.

I do love teaching Spanish at DFJHS and am so glad I went in this profession. I would someday like to come back and work closer to home, and in a high school. But I'm grateful that I have a job which is definitely a blessing during these times. I went 5 or 6 months not knowing where I would be. I was getting close to applying at Wal-Mart since there weren't many schools that were hiring.

P.S. Does anyone else out there read these posts besides mine and Lexi's sisters, and my blog stalking mom??? :)