Latest / Live in the Lab Schools / Ep # 14: New Hires, Real Reflections

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Ep # 14: New Hires, Real Reflections · Live in the Lab Schools

0:09
Andy Goveia: This week on Live in the Lab Schools, we have a new hire chat.
0:12
Andy Goveia: We've got Caitlin Smith, Derek Dabar from UHI, and Megan Dabar from Metcalf asking our newest hires how their year was, how it went, reflecting on joining this organization.
0:23
Andy Goveia: You're in for a really cool conversation.
0:24
Andy Goveia: I'm Andy Govey.
0:25
Andy Goveia: And I'm Ben Webb.
0:26
Andy Goveia: Welcome to Live in the Lab Schools.
0:35
Ben Webb: Mr.
0:36
Ben Webb: Webb! Welcome back.
0:37
Ben Webb: Here we are.
0:38
Ben Webb: We are almost done.
0:40
Ben Webb: We are almost done.
0:41
Andy Goveia: The home stretch.
0:42
Andy Goveia: This is we're recording people don't like us to talk about when we're recording.
0:45
Andy Goveia: We're recording May 5th.
0:47
Andy Goveia: It's happy Cinco de Mayo.
0:48
Andy Goveia: Yep.
0:49
Andy Goveia: This is when we're recording this conversation.
0:51
Ben Webb: And got five concerts in two weeks.
0:54
Ben Webb: We got graduation coming up.
0:57
Ben Webb: All the things.
0:58
Ben Webb: Okay.
0:58
Ben Webb: All the things.
0:59
Andy Goveia: But enough about us.
1:01
Ben Webb: That's the smallest intro ever.
1:03
Andy Goveia: Enough about us.
1:04
Andy Goveia: We've got three new hires with us this week.
1:08
Andy Goveia: Chatting about their years, what they've learned, and hopefully why they're coming back.
1:13
Ben Webb: Welcome to our weird family.
1:15
Ben Webb: We hope you stay for at least another year.
1:19
Andy Goveia: As we said before we started recording, you become uncool after your second year, apparently.
1:24
Ben Webb: Uh I had one cool year and that was it.
1:27
Ben Webb: One cool year and that was it.
1:28
Ben Webb: And hey, sometimes I think a couple of my seniors are like, wait, you have a podcast, and I get that little moment of like, oh, I'm cool-ish again.
1:36
Ben Webb: And then they listen to it, and I think I lose all that cool again.
1:39
Ben Webb: I have one eighth-grade listener.
1:41
Andy Goveia: She listens religiously.
1:43
Andy Goveia: Well, cool.
1:43
Andy Goveia: So shout out to Violet Miller of the Miller family.
1:47
Andy Goveia: There we go.
1:47
Andy Goveia: I she listens religiously to us and says we do a nice job.
1:52
Andy Goveia: I'm I'm I need that kind of affirmation.
1:54
Andy Goveia: She, it's really nice.
1:55
Ben Webb: She's like, I listened to your episode.
1:56
Ben Webb: That was really nice.
1:57
Ben Webb: I'm like, thank you, Violet.
1:58
Ben Webb: So can I clarify one thing about this?
2:00
Ben Webb: So new hires, not necessarily new teachers.
2:04
Ben Webb: I think sometimes there's that misconception of you're new to you, high, you're in your first year.
2:08
Ben Webb: We have experienced, accomplished people who have reputations, some of which had connections to the lab schools at first and then decided, hey, I want to come back to this place.
2:18
Ben Webb: Is that all accurate?
2:19
Andy Goveia: Yeah, I think that's sounds awesome.
2:22
Andy Goveia: Um, so let's do it.
2:23
Andy Goveia: So we've got Caitlin Smith, Megan Dabar, Derek Dabar.
2:27
Andy Goveia: Could you all really quickly say hey so our listeners can hear you?
2:31
Andy Goveia: And just a quick 10 to 15 second intro of what you do here in the lab schools.
2:36
SPEAKER_01: For sure.
2:37
SPEAKER_01: I'll start.
2:37
SPEAKER_01: Hi, I'm Caitlin Smith.
2:39
SPEAKER_01: I am a high school history teacher here at UHI.
2:43
SPEAKER_01: I teach APUS history and US studies.
2:46
SPEAKER_01: And next year I'm very excited to take on the role as the APASS teacher, which is AP African American Studies.
2:54
Andy Goveia: That's a great class.
2:55
SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
2:56
SPEAKER_00: So excited.
2:56
SPEAKER_00: Hey everyone, my name is Megan Dabar, and um I currently teach second grade at Metcalf.
3:04
SPEAKER_02: I am Derek Dabar.
3:06
SPEAKER_02: Um I teach government and AP Gov next year, coming next year.
3:10
SPEAKER_02: I teach AP CompGov and I help coach football and I'm a track coach.
3:16
Andy Goveia: So let's get into it.
3:17
Andy Goveia: If you were gonna look back on your school year and pick one word that would describe it for you, what is that word and why?
3:24
SPEAKER_01: You know, I'm gonna have to go with cool.
3:26
SPEAKER_01: I just felt really cool.
3:27
unknown: I'm just kidding.
3:29
SPEAKER_01: Year one, coolness.
3:31
SPEAKER_01: Um, no, I will say I felt that this year in in retrospect was invigorating.
3:41
SPEAKER_01: I would say, like throughout the year, I felt very innovative.
3:44
SPEAKER_01: Um, I was doing new things with excitement of being in a new school, of uh teaching APUSH for the first time in a while, being able to bring over university teachers that I had when I went to ISU, which was really exciting.
3:59
SPEAKER_01: And so throughout the year I felt supported in innovation.
4:02
SPEAKER_01: But right now, I would say I'm rounding out the year feeling invigorated.
4:08
Ben Webb: That's that's not something you always hear from people at the end of their busy, crazy year.
4:14
Ben Webb: Invigorating is an awesome word.
4:15
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, I I unfortunately love this job stuff.
4:21
Ben Webb: Unfortunately.
4:22
SPEAKER_01: And no matter, I've been in three districts, and um, I was just saying the other night, uh, we have a history teacher book club in town, and it's awesome.
4:31
SPEAKER_01: And it's a ton of history teachers from um throughout Bloomington Normal.
4:35
SPEAKER_01: We get together, and I was explaining to them my first job, which was at a teeny tiny little rural district down near Jacksonville, Illinois, and it's called Waverly, shout out, go Scotties.
4:47
SPEAKER_01: And um, I taught seven different classes and I had six different preps.
4:52
SPEAKER_01: I only taught one class twice.
4:55
SPEAKER_01: And we had, as in prep periods, I only had one of those and you know, 30-minute lunch that, and I thought, well, this is the greatest gig that anyone could ever have.
5:06
SPEAKER_01: I was there for three years, I had the time of my life, and then so everything after that has um felt pretty, pretty chill, pretty easy.
5:14
SPEAKER_01: Um, but no, I do love it.
5:15
SPEAKER_01: And I would say, yeah, even though it's May 5th and I'm drained, I definitely feel invigorated.
5:23
SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm gonna lock in that word.
5:25
SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
5:26
Ben Webb: Very cool.
5:27
Ben Webb: Dabars, what about you guys?
5:28
Ben Webb: One to bar, two to bar?
5:30
SPEAKER_00: I'd say for me, my word is joy.
5:32
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like working in an elementary school, like if you were to walk in a classroom, I feel like joy would hopefully be what you see and what you experience when you walk in the room.
5:40
SPEAKER_00: And um I feel like when I look at my students and when I am with them, it's just pure joy.
5:48
SPEAKER_00: They these kids are just so unique in the way that they just want to learn.
5:53
SPEAKER_00: They love to learn, they're excited to learn.
5:56
SPEAKER_00: Um, the things we are able to are allowed to do in the classroom.
6:00
SPEAKER_00: Um, I feel like I have um a lot of freedom to use my expertise in the classroom to try things in the in the with my students and um challenge their minds in a way that I haven't been able to in any other school.
6:17
SPEAKER_00: And to be able to watch my kids figure things out um and see the excitement that they have in the room is something I just absolutely love.
6:26
SPEAKER_00: So I feel like walking into my room and seeing the kids joy, but then also for me, joy, like being able to do what I love.
6:32
SPEAKER_00: Um, prior to being in second grade this year, I was a reading specialist and I just missed being back in the homeroom.
6:38
SPEAKER_00: So I loved this opportunity being in the homeroom with my students, having my 20 kids.
6:43
SPEAKER_00: Um, and there's just I feel I like you said, I'm drained, I'm tired, it's May, the kids are exhausted.
6:50
SPEAKER_00: Um, but there's still so much joy in the opportunity that these kids get at the lab schools um that I think is so unique and exciting.
6:57
SPEAKER_00: And coming in from the outside, this is something that um is just so cool that they get to experience.
7:03
SPEAKER_02: For me, I think everything's brand new, everything for eight years.
7:12
SPEAKER_02: Everything was just a different way, and we have to do that.
7:25
SPEAKER_02: Everything is different in the best possible way.
7:30
SPEAKER_02: I have to release everything again.
7:41
Andy Goveia: So kind of with that, what's something you wish?
7:44
Andy Goveia: So as you started years, you've been invigorated, joyful, a lot of changes.
7:48
Andy Goveia: What's something you wish someone would have told you when you started in August that no one told you?
7:56
Andy Goveia: What is something you if you could have been warned or coached or something, what is that piece of advice you wish you would have been told?
8:04
SPEAKER_02: That sounds back in August.
8:05
SPEAKER_02: That sounds like a trap.
8:07
SPEAKER_02: But um I kind of for me, nothing.
8:11
SPEAKER_02: I before I did this, I'm not changing 18 years or something on a guest.
8:17
SPEAKER_02: I called everybody I knew that worked here and I kind of got the loadout.
8:22
SPEAKER_02: So that there wasn't really anything that I didn't expect to the point where it was different or scary.
8:29
SPEAKER_02: Like all the stuff that I heard sounded like an exciting new challenge.
8:33
SPEAKER_02: So so there was no like gotcha moment because I I did all of the research to make sure I I didn't get got um before I made a massive life move.
8:43
SPEAKER_02: Um so nothing really caught me by crazy surprise.
8:49
SPEAKER_00: I think for me it was it's okay to ask um if you have a question or you want something, or if there's something that you feel would be best for your students to ask.
9:00
SPEAKER_00: Um because I feel like this school wants to support their teachers.
9:06
SPEAKER_00: And I feel so supported by my admin, by the teachers.
9:11
SPEAKER_00: And if there's something I need, I'm like, hey, is this something I can do in my classroom?
9:15
SPEAKER_00: And if it's not something that they can help at that moment, they're willing to go find the resources or the people to bring in and be able to support me to do that big idea that I want to do, whether they want to bring in the STEM teacher to come help us with a writing project, or um that no idea is too big that they're willing to kind of run with us if we are willing to ask and kind of see what resources we have to help implement that in our classroom.
9:40
SPEAKER_00: So I feel like for me, if I would have known that in the beginning of the year, how many more cool things we could have done in the classroom?
9:45
SPEAKER_00: But I just feel like the support that we get from our admin from the teachers um is top-notch.
9:51
SPEAKER_00: And now that I kind of know, like, hey, it's okay to ask if this is okay to do in our classroom, they're all on board for us being able to do that.
9:58
Andy Goveia: And then when you've been here for 10 years, you just do it and ask for forgiveness later on.
10:03
Andy Goveia: Which is what Ben and I tend to do anymore.
10:05
Andy Goveia: Sorry.
10:07
unknown: Caitlin.
10:08
SPEAKER_01: So I would say, and I was I was telling Ben this earlier that I was here as an intern in 2018 and through 2019 school year.
10:18
SPEAKER_01: And upon returning, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but I would say that I don't notice a ton of changes.
10:25
SPEAKER_01: So I had a different experience in the way that I kind of had an idea of what to expect coming in.
10:31
SPEAKER_01: And I feel like that's attributed kind of to the the mission pillars of the lab schools have remained consistent.
10:38
SPEAKER_01: And even though there's been a lot of there's a lot of different faces in the department that that I saw when I came here in 2018.
10:46
SPEAKER_01: Um, but because the mission stays consistent and we like focus on, you know, educating those pre-service teachers and focusing on innovation and trying new things, everything feels kind of predictable for me coming back to this setting.
11:04
Ben Webb: That's awesome.
11:05
Ben Webb: We haven't changed much, apparently.
11:07
SPEAKER_01: You've changed in good ways.
11:09
Andy Goveia: I think there's a whole episode to be done on change and whatnot.
11:13
Andy Goveia: We'll get we'll go.
11:14
Andy Goveia: We also need to do the internship program again and get like there's enough people around that were interns.
11:18
Ben Webb: We could do a whole we've also interviewed a lot of people who do or did the internship.
11:22
Ben Webb: That is true.
11:23
Andy Goveia: Um, shout out to all of those people, uh, including myself.
11:27
Andy Goveia: Uh you just shout out your appreciation week, I will appreciate myself.
11:32
Andy Goveia: There you go.
11:33
Andy Goveia: Um, so let's stick with that kind of like learning curve a little bit, like coming into a system.
11:37
Andy Goveia: Is there something that not in a bad way, but like this is you started your year and got into it.
11:44
Andy Goveia: And Megan, you kind of touched on it with what you wish you would have been told, but like, was there something that was more of a learning curve than you expected?
11:51
Andy Goveia: And that like you were like, okay, I thought this was going to be this way, and it could be good, it could be negative, but like something that, ooh, this is what took me a little more time to latch onto than I thought it would, if that kind of makes sense.
12:06
SPEAKER_01: I would say that recognizing this student culture and population as being like so incredibly involved is something that I remember being here in as an intern, but now kind of being in the in the thick of it and recognizing really what my students' interests are, they are just all over the place, which is really easy to connect with them and build rapport based on their interest because of that.
12:32
SPEAKER_01: But I would say that that is something that I feel like is unexpected when people first come to Uh is that unlike some other, and I've been in three districts, other districts, people kind of, you know, just get in their lane, stick to their lane, not clicky, not like, you know, high school movie-wise.
12:48
SPEAKER_01: But in a way of here, I have a student that's in A-Push that does marching band and plays football and probably other things.
12:56
SPEAKER_01: And it's just really incredible to see how involved students are because of the the culture that we've created around involvement, activities, clubs, sports.
13:08
SPEAKER_00: I think having the opportunity to work with our clinical students um has been something that's new for me.
13:14
SPEAKER_00: Um, and learning how to um give up control of my own room.
13:21
SPEAKER_00: Um, as a as an elementary teacher, I'm used to having like my 20 students that I work with all the time and I'm conferencing with them and having the opportunity, which actually has become one of my favorite parts of mentoring these college kids who come into the room um so excited to work with these kids and allowing them the opportunities to work in small groups or being able to co-teach a lesson and giving them that cool opportunity to see a real life classroom, and that means good and bad.
13:50
SPEAKER_00: Um, the discipline components, the good celebratory times in our classroom.
13:54
SPEAKER_00: Um, but that's something that I've definitely um enjoyed, but it's been definitely a learning curve uh in my classroom.
14:02
Ben Webb: It's really hard to do.
14:04
SPEAKER_00: It is.
14:05
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
14:06
SPEAKER_02: I would say my TCH students, you know, in the history department, we have a very small number of TCH students, but that's sarcasm.
14:14
SPEAKER_01: I was guessing what is what is your TCH to teacher ratio this semester?
14:19
SPEAKER_01: I had 16 in total this year.
14:21
SPEAKER_01: How many do you have?
14:22
SPEAKER_02: If I count, then I think about it.
14:25
SPEAKER_02: So I just head down, let's go.
14:27
SPEAKER_02: Um, not a small number.
14:30
SPEAKER_02: Just getting used to mentoring people, it's almost like you're like a you know, like a pseudo-principal on top of a teacher, where I find myself giving these evals, and you know, I draw back from all the evals I've gotten over the year from principals, and you kind of like say the same thing.
14:46
SPEAKER_02: It's like that moment where you're like, oh, I'm I'm like my parents.
14:48
SPEAKER_02: Um, but this is like, oh, I'm like the people that have evaluated me, right?
14:52
SPEAKER_02: Where I'm just writing these evals and evaluating kids and and and letting them know what does and doesn't work in the classroom.
14:58
SPEAKER_02: And that's for me, that's been a learning curve.
15:00
SPEAKER_02: You know, you you expect it, but it's kind of like, whoa, um, that's different.
15:05
SPEAKER_02: So yeah, that would that would be my area of growth.
15:08
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's made me reflect on just pulling off of what you were saying.
15:13
SPEAKER_01: Our and and Derek and I are in the same field in the same department.
15:17
SPEAKER_01: Our and Andy.
15:19
SPEAKER_01: Hello.
15:21
SPEAKER_01: More about numbers.
15:23
SPEAKER_01: Right.
15:24
SPEAKER_01: This is now a history education podcast today.
15:27
Andy Goveia: It never happens, the majority of people are like us.
15:30
SPEAKER_01: Um, but it's made me reflect on our role.
15:34
SPEAKER_01: And in general, like this big conversation of teacher shortages.
15:40
SPEAKER_01: I work for Golden Apple, a tuition assistance program for um a scholarship program for pre-service teachers and undergrad program.
15:48
SPEAKER_01: And they talk about the teacher, teacher shortage all the time.
15:52
SPEAKER_01: However, we experience something different in a way of expectations being higher because our specific field and discipline doesn't have as big of a shortage as other openings.
16:05
SPEAKER_01: So it's just an interesting dynamic to think about in terms of we are experiencing this, whereas other departments within this school have less of those TCH students that they are mentoring.
16:18
SPEAKER_01: And maybe that just adds another dynamic to it that I've been able to reflect on a little bit, if that makes sense.
16:25
Andy Goveia: That makes a lot of sense.
16:27
Andy Goveia: It's a we've talked about it and echoes on other episodes, just the uniqueness of we have to, as teachers, teach our kids, but you also have this other group of kids that you weren't trained how to teach, and it's those clinical students.
16:40
Andy Goveia: Like we never we get support to help them.
16:44
Andy Goveia: But like no one ever went, Hey, here's how you give an aspiring educator feedback.
16:49
Andy Goveia: Like we have to, we in we draw on our experience to go, okay, what did a good supervisor tell me?
16:55
Andy Goveia: What did a good principal tell me?
16:56
Andy Goveia: But that whole piece is a it's a wild part of what we do.
16:59
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
17:00
Ben Webb: And and we don't get that formal training of like a principal prep program where you would get that um, you know, this is the best way to give feedback.
17:08
Ben Webb: So hearing you kind of say, like, oh, I think about all of the e-ails I've gotten from principals over the years, it's like, okay, how do I dip into that fund of knowledge?
17:17
Ben Webb: Because now I'm expected to do that and kind of almost be the admin to say, okay, this is the feedback you need in order to improve, as opposed to, okay, I know there's the feedback I'm gonna give you that you need to hear.
17:32
Ben Webb: And sometimes we have those difficult conversations of like, okay, so you want to go into this career.
17:37
Ben Webb: Here's what you need to work on in order to maintain a positive career.
17:42
Ben Webb: Because I think you guys have a ton of TCH students right now.
17:46
Ben Webb: Not all of them are gonna maintain and stay in that field.
17:51
SPEAKER_01: Right.
17:52
SPEAKER_01: Some will apply for jobs that have dozens and dozens of candidates and applications sent in.
17:59
SPEAKER_01: And so it's more than let's make you a good enough teacher.
18:04
SPEAKER_01: It's let's let's get you to the point that you can interview and get the job over somebody with experience, over somebody at another university.
18:12
SPEAKER_01: And that feedback I feel like need has to be then a little bit more specific and catered to the lack of a shortage that we have.
18:21
SPEAKER_01: Lack of a shortage.
18:22
SPEAKER_01: So the surplus.
18:24
SPEAKER_01: Double negative.
18:26
Andy Goveia: You don't teach economics, it's fine.
18:27
Andy Goveia: Um, so thinking on your year you've had, what's a student moment that stands out to you that you'll take with you?
18:34
SPEAKER_00: Um I'm gonna give two, if that's okay.
18:37
SPEAKER_00: Please.
18:38
SPEAKER_00: Um my uh first student moment I think comes, um, and it's kind of almost every week, um, is the moment that my students come back on Fridays from forest school.
18:49
SPEAKER_00: And forest school is kind of a, I think, a new opportunity that these kids have had every Friday.
18:55
SPEAKER_00: And um one of our teachers takes them out into the woods and they're able to explore and be kids and experience um and move their bodies out in the outside.
19:06
SPEAKER_00: And when they come back from forest school, um, they're muddy.
19:12
SPEAKER_00: They can bring usually bring back these big sticks, and but they are they just had the time of their lives.
19:17
SPEAKER_00: And I think these opportunities that these kids have had on Fridays to um learn about baking, to go to forest school, to um learn from nursing clinicals that have come into Metcalf, um, watching them be able to walk back into my room after those experiences with this sense of like excitement and joy of learning something outside of the norm of what a typical elementary classroom is, um, I think just makes these kids so well-rounded.
19:47
SPEAKER_00: Um, we're looking at this whole child of who they are, not just like sitting in a desk, or can you read, can you write, can you do this?
19:55
SPEAKER_00: But it's like, do you have grit?
19:57
SPEAKER_00: Are you able to think outside the box?
19:58
SPEAKER_00: Can you socialize with your friends?
20:00
SPEAKER_00: Um, and they love that.
20:02
SPEAKER_00: And I just feel like I'm watching these kids come back on Fridays um filling all these little holes of we're building this like beautiful child academically, socially, emotionally.
20:13
SPEAKER_00: Um and I just I don't know, Fridays are my favorite days just to be able to watch my kids walk in after all those cool experiences.
20:19
SPEAKER_00: Um so yeah, that's one moment that I feel like for these kids really stands out to me.
20:25
SPEAKER_00: Um and a little bit of a different perspective.
20:27
SPEAKER_00: Um so my husband Derek and I uh moved up here actually about a week into school.
20:33
SPEAKER_00: So we were s living somewhere else, and um, we actually moved up here for the lab schools.
20:38
SPEAKER_00: Um we both got jobs up here and we were excited to move up here.
20:41
SPEAKER_00: And one of my student moments um actually is my own child, and he had the opportunity to shadow.
20:47
SPEAKER_00: And um being able to watch him be so excited to come to Metcalf and be here at Metcalf truly speaks very highly, not only of the teachers, but the kids that are in the classes, um, the experiences that we give these um students um that I don't know if this is okay to say, but like it's just watching my own child go through this school and be able to experience class at Metcalf.
21:13
SPEAKER_00: Um it's just such a joy to watch, I think, as a mom and as a teacher, um, that your own child gets to experience these classroom experiences.
21:22
SPEAKER_00: So um I think those are kind of my two big moments that really stand out to me when I look at this year.
21:28
SPEAKER_00: That's so sweet.
21:31
Andy Goveia: I and so Megan and I both are our youngest, uh her oldest, my youngest, will be in first grade together.
21:36
Andy Goveia: Yeah, it is it is very cool to watch your kid.
21:38
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
21:39
Andy Goveia: The coolest part for me is I get to watch people I know are amazing teachers work with my kids.
21:45
Andy Goveia: Yeah.
21:45
Andy Goveia: And like I know why they do what they do and the effect it has, and like I see not only are they really cool people, but like they're helping my kid.
21:54
Andy Goveia: And there's something really cool about that.
21:56
SPEAKER_00: How much they love your child.
21:57
SPEAKER_00: Like it's not their own kid, but they love it.
22:00
SPEAKER_00: Love them like their own child.
22:01
SPEAKER_00: And I think my own kid felt that today of just how loved he felt today.
22:05
SPEAKER_00: And um, he had a blast.
22:07
SPEAKER_00: And I'm excited that he gets to experience that.
22:09
unknown: Yeah.
22:10
SPEAKER_01: Can't you?
22:11
SPEAKER_01: Wow.
22:11
SPEAKER_01: Wow.
22:12
SPEAKER_00: That is so sweet.
22:13
SPEAKER_01: I also want to.
22:14
SPEAKER_01: Try to one up things.
22:15
SPEAKER_01: I know.
22:15
SPEAKER_01: I'm oh my gosh, I can't.
22:17
SPEAKER_01: And you guys moving, you know, an hour away to do this.
22:21
SPEAKER_01: It's just very telling of you know your values as a family.
22:24
SPEAKER_01: Okay, I can't I won't go on because anyway.
22:28
Andy Goveia: They their story at the beginning of the year.
22:30
Andy Goveia: Like everyone was like, wait, they're down by Springfield.
22:33
SPEAKER_01: They're moving.
22:34
Andy Goveia: Hold on.
22:35
Andy Goveia: They don't have a house yet.
22:36
Andy Goveia: They're driving every morning.
22:38
Andy Goveia: They okay, they got a place.
22:39
Andy Goveia: They got a different place.
22:40
Andy Goveia: They closed up the house.
22:42
Andy Goveia: They're moving for the fourth time this year.
22:44
SPEAKER_01: Like, oh my gosh.
22:45
Andy Goveia: And to show up, like to make it for to your guys' credit, you should I don't know about Derek because I don't see him, but like you showed up with a smile on your face almost every day, ready, ready to help these kids.
22:56
Andy Goveia: And like the amount of I can't imagine the year you've had.
23:01
Andy Goveia: So to see watch you show up positively and to hear you talk about your both of you, like I won't bring up the garage door.
23:09
SPEAKER_01: Oh gosh.
23:10
Andy Goveia: But I will say kudos to you both because you would never know all of that was going on as you were starting in a brand new place.
23:20
Andy Goveia: So kudos to you both.
23:21
SPEAKER_00: I send in that.
23:22
SPEAKER_00: I appreciate that, but I think it also speaks very highly of the support that we have um at Metcalf, like and at UHI, I'm gonna speak for Derek.
23:30
SPEAKER_00: Um, I think it speaks of the support that of the UHI, your department, the history department.
23:36
SPEAKER_00: He loves working with the people he's working with.
23:38
SPEAKER_00: They have been so supportive of him, they're collaborating together.
23:42
SPEAKER_00: Um, and I think the same thing at Metcalf, like the admin, the teachers, everyone was helping and supporting us get through this.
23:48
SPEAKER_00: We could not have done it without them.
23:49
SPEAKER_00: Um, so although, yeah, it was a push to get through this year.
23:52
SPEAKER_00: Um, I think we can't go without saying thank you to the people that have helped us through this year because it was a team effort.
24:01
Andy Goveia: So, Caitlin, what's your student moment?
24:03
Andy Goveia: That was a really thoughtful turn.
24:05
Andy Goveia: Yeah, student moment.
24:07
Andy Goveia: Student moment.
24:08
SPEAKER_01: Um mine is going to go back to I think September.
24:14
SPEAKER_01: And just because it was so surprising and exciting and heartwarming, as soon as we started learning the revolution, as all US history classes do, my AP US history class immediately starts bargaining for Hamilton time.
24:31
SPEAKER_01: Let's watch Hamilton.
24:32
SPEAKER_01: Let's watch Hamilton.
24:33
SPEAKER_01: And if you know APUS history, we just don't got the time.
24:36
SPEAKER_01: We don't have the time.
24:36
Andy Goveia: It's not a DBQ.
24:37
SPEAKER_01: It's not on the DBQ, so it's out.
24:39
SPEAKER_01: And so I did offer thinking there would be no interest.
24:43
SPEAKER_01: Let's have an after-school Hamilton watch party.
24:46
SPEAKER_01: This Hamilton movie, it's like almost three hours long.
24:49
SPEAKER_01: It's like Titanic level, literally of film length.
24:52
SPEAKER_01: So it's long.
24:54
SPEAKER_01: And so I figured nobody's gonna give up their evening to come watch Hamilton with their AP APUS history teacher.
25:02
SPEAKER_01: And I sent out the form of like, would anyone be interested?
25:05
SPEAKER_01: We'll order pizza, which granted maybe half of them came for just the pizza, but we'll we'll stick on the you know, the heartwarming side.
25:13
SPEAKER_01: They there were almost 20 students that came, and some even coming from my traditional US studies class that just wanted to join the party and watch Hamilton and stayed to watch the movie.
25:25
SPEAKER_01: And I was surprised.
25:27
SPEAKER_01: I it gave me motivation to get through that kind of false schlump that we all know.
25:34
SPEAKER_01: And that was my favorite moment so far.
25:37
SPEAKER_01: That we still have the A-Push exam and two and a half weeks left that I feel like are gonna bring some really exciting moments too.
25:43
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, that was fun.
25:44
Andy Goveia: That's awesome.
25:45
unknown: That's so fun.
25:45
Andy Goveia: The power of Broadway.
25:46
Andy Goveia: The power of Broadway and pizza.
25:48
Andy Goveia: And pizza.
25:48
Andy Goveia: Well, if they were any of my former students, they watched it and we studied it like full on in eighth grade.
25:53
Andy Goveia: So they just tried to finagle another viewing.
25:56
SPEAKER_01: Many of them knew every lyric.
25:58
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
25:59
SPEAKER_01: Which it is the 250th anniversary of the uh Declaration of Independence.
26:04
SPEAKER_01: A lot of predictions have on the A-Push exam that that will be one of the uh FRQs.
26:11
SPEAKER_01: So here's hoping that it wasn't a big waste of three hours.
26:16
SPEAKER_01: It never is.
26:17
Andy Goveia: Um so if you look back on your year, if you were gonna look at a new hire next year, what is the piece of advice?
26:24
Andy Goveia: Because we have hires in the district next year, uh both buildings.
26:27
Ben Webb: And we're gonna send them your way for like advice, or even just like, oh, that's a good question.
26:32
Ben Webb: You should go talk to this person who just went through that.
26:35
Andy Goveia: Yeah, we're I mean, we're anticipating some hires everywhere across both buildings, Hilly as well.
26:39
Andy Goveia: And so what would you tell someone who's new?
26:43
SPEAKER_02: Um geez, uh this is a great place, and just do what people tell you to do, and you're gonna be fine and have a lot of fun.
26:55
SPEAKER_02: Like, I don't know.
26:57
SPEAKER_02: Um great advice.
27:00
SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
27:02
SPEAKER_02: But yeah, I mean that I just enjoy it, have fun.
27:05
SPEAKER_02: Um, it's a lot more work, but it's really fun.
27:08
SPEAKER_02: I'm in a just an apartment of people that just want to be the best teacher that they can be, right?
27:13
SPEAKER_02: And that's kind of not a typical experience.
27:16
SPEAKER_02: Um, no one is here just to collect a paycheck nine to five.
27:20
SPEAKER_02: Um, everyone in my department has super fantastic ideas, and I'm actually working with teachers that I work with as opposed to just like make your own thing and do your own thing.
27:29
SPEAKER_02: So don't be afraid to talk to people.
27:31
SPEAKER_02: Don't be afraid to try new things.
27:34
SPEAKER_02: Um, it's really weird being in a place that encourages innovation.
27:38
SPEAKER_02: Like if something goes wrong, um, you know, Andrea's just like, yeah, it happens.
27:42
SPEAKER_02: Like, at least you tried something new.
27:44
SPEAKER_02: Whereas, you know, previously, if something went wrong, it's like, well, did you meet the standard?
27:48
SPEAKER_02: Did you right?
27:50
SPEAKER_02: So, like just explore that freedom and try to be the best version of yourself and know that everyone around you is trying to be the best version of themselves, and it's you'll have way more fun that way.
28:02
SPEAKER_01: I would just say roll with the punches, go with the flow, and kind of it's going to be uh rocky as a first year at any new school is, but this is very different in exciting ways.
28:17
SPEAKER_01: And so I would say definitely just um, you know, push through.
28:23
SPEAKER_01: And I think toward the end in May, you'll have a similar experience as Megan, Derek, and I, which is really positive.
28:32
SPEAKER_00: Um I think I would kind of say what you would say.
28:38
SPEAKER_00: Enjoy the opportunity that you have been given, because I um I think it's a unique one.
28:45
SPEAKER_00: And do not be afraid to kind of seek out.
28:48
SPEAKER_00: I mean, we have there are so many people at both buildings that have so much expertise and so much knowledge.
28:54
SPEAKER_00: Um, and just being willing to go ask and get their input and but also be confident in knowing that like who you are as a teacher, like you were hired for a reason.
29:04
SPEAKER_00: Um and to be confident in your abilities and what you bring to the classroom.
29:09
SPEAKER_00: Um that's why you were hired.
29:12
SPEAKER_00: So I think being willing to go ask questions, because there's so many people that have such great knowledge, um, but then remembering who you are as a teacher and bringing that to the classroom with your kids.
29:24
Andy Goveia: Finally, is there anyone you would like to give a shout-out to?
29:29
Andy Goveia: Could be a student, colleague, someone we're like, hey, I'm grateful for you.
29:34
Andy Goveia: Thank you.
29:36
Andy Goveia: Or one eighth grade listener.
29:38
Andy Goveia: I say Violet Miller already got her shout-out today.
29:41
Andy Goveia: Shout out to her.
29:41
Andy Goveia: And she will be over the moon that she's been referenced in this episode.
29:45
SPEAKER_01: Mine is Amy Brokaw.
29:48
SPEAKER_01: She has, I've bugged her numerous times this year to help me with uh source organization and doing fun things.
29:58
SPEAKER_01: She came with us to the Lincoln Museum.
30:00
SPEAKER_01: She put together a whole history museum in the library for us.
30:04
SPEAKER_01: And so shout out, Amy Brokaw.
30:06
SPEAKER_01: You're amazing.
30:07
Andy Goveia: Amy Brokaw, the library media specialist at UA.
30:12
SPEAKER_00: Um I think I'd give a shout out looking back at my year.
30:17
SPEAKER_00: Um very thankful for my second grade team.
30:19
SPEAKER_00: They've they pulled me through a lot um getting through this year, and they were very, very supportive.
30:24
SPEAKER_00: And I just feel like my admin have been always rooting me on.
30:29
SPEAKER_00: Like I feel very supported by both admin um and how much they respected and trusted me.
30:37
SPEAKER_00: And um for all of those people, I'm very thankful for their help and support.
30:43
Andy Goveia: We're almost at the end of school.
30:45
Andy Goveia: We're there.
30:46
Andy Goveia: We did it.
30:46
Andy Goveia: This uh this is Teacher Appreciation Week.
30:48
Andy Goveia: So if you are a teacher, someone who works with kids, no matter what you do, we appreciate you here on this podcast.
30:55
Andy Goveia: All right.
30:56
Andy Goveia: Have a good week, everybody.
30:56
Andy Goveia: Yeah, thank you to Caitlin, Megan, and Derek.
30:59
SPEAKER_00: Thanks, Andy and Ben.
31:00
SPEAKER_00: Thanks for having us.
31:07
Andy Goveia: Live in the Lab Schools is a production of the ISU Laboratory Schools recorded on the campus of Illinois State University.
31:14
Andy Goveia: Connect with us on Facebook or Instagram at Live in the Lab Schools.
31:18
Andy Goveia: We'll see you next time.