Welcome to Teacher Jargon!

“What major would you like to declare?” 

Up until this point, this question had been, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and, for me, the answer had always been “a teacher.” That day, I had rehearsed my response during the drive to the community college I would be attending that fall. Over and over in my head, I repeated the phrase, “elementary education,” but for some reason, in that moment,

“Secondary education” left my mouth. 

My dad, who had gone with me to register and enroll in classes, looked at me, his brows furrowed in concern and confusion. I had just been explaining to him how I thought elementary school would be a good fit for me, and here I was declaring secondary education as my major. I was as bewildered as him, but in that moment, God, my gut, the universe, told me that I was meant to teach older students. It must’ve been divine intervention.

That decision, made while sitting in the tiny office of an academic advisor I never saw nor spoke to again, was one of the best decisions I could’ve ever made. My educational bones were meant to be in a high school classroom. After nearly a decade spent teaching in the high school setting, I can honestly say that I can’t imagine teaching the littles. Please, know that if you are an elementary teacher, you have my utmost respect. You have to be a special person to teach those foundational skills. There’s something magical, though, about being part of a student’s transition into adulthood. Because I teach both 9th and 11th graders, I have the privilege of witnessing their growth and maturity as they discover their passions and talents and make their own decisions about their future. The mental and emotional maturity that happens between 14 years old and 17 years old astounds me.

That decision was also the decision that catapulted me into the education world, and to say I’m obsessed with all things education is a complete understatement. Since 2010, I have read countless books, attended numerous workshops, and pioneered various programs all in an effort to be a better teacher. In 2020, I completed my Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. At this point in my career, I recognize that I will most likely not be in the classroom forever; I would like to expand my sphere of influence, share what I know with other teachers, and learn from fellow education-obsessed people. 

Enter Teacher Jargon.

Teacher Jargon became a passion project of mine in late 2018; I approached Avery, a fellow teacher/best friend of mine at my school, with an idea of co-hosting a teacher podcast. The initial idea was that we would interview educators and share our own experiences with our listeners in hopes that we could relate to other teachers. Teacher Jargon (the original) ran fairly strong until…

Yup, you guessed it: COVID-19. 

The pandemic wrecked our podcast schedule and almost every other aspect of our professional lives. The podcast fell to the wayside as we were forced to use complicated learning management systems, conduct class on Zoom, and mask up to keep ourselves and our in-person students safe. 

Now that I’ve finally adjusted to teaching in a pandemic and all that comes with it, I’m ready to reinvent Teacher Jargon. I considered a complete rebrand, but with the urging of those who mentor and support me, I’ve chosen to keep the Teacher Jargon name and slogan because it feels authentic to my mission and vision for this space. With Avery’s blessing, I’ve decided to take on Teacher Jargon independently this time. The purpose of Teacher Jargon remains the same: to create a community of educators to learn from one another. I welcome you to this space. I encourage you to explore the ideas presented, adapt them to fit your teaching style, and share them with the educators in your life. 

What to Expect

Eventually, my posts and podcasts will most likely be more specific to the ELA/R classroom since that is my area of expertise, but to begin with, I would like to address topics/issues that all educators face: classroom management, brain research and learning styles, unpacking standards, backwards design lesson planning, tracking and responding to student data, etc. If this space ever feels like it’s not for you because you teach a different subject or grade level than me, I do encourage you to consider how you might adapt the strategies suggested for your grade level and/or subject area and share those adaptations so I can feature them. My mission is to help educators foster literacy in their classrooms, regardless of subject area.

I will post a new blog and podcast episode weekly. The posts and podcasts will correspond, but the content will not be identical. If a particular blog post captures your attention, I encourage you to find and listen to the podcast episode that accompanies it and vice versa. 

Teacher Jargon is meant to be a community; I encourage my readers to leave a comment on posts that spark thought. Share, share, share what you’re thinking so that I can learn from you. If you try a particular strategy that I’ve suggested, I desperately want to know about that experience. You can use the “Contact Me” form on the Teacher Jargon home page to send a message directly to me. You can also connect on social media and join the community there. I hope that Teacher Jargon becomes a space for you to share your knowledge, frustrations, and celebrations. 

Exit Ticket

Before you leave, drop a comment below: What would you like to see in this space? What topic recommendations do you have? Are you new to the Teacher Jargon community or have you followed the podcast for a while? What questions do you have?

Be bold. Be brave.