Hello Ed Tech Blog World! My name is Valerie Wood and I am a middle school PE teacher at Still Middle School in Aurora, IL. This is my 15th (YIKES) year teaching but it sure doesn't feel that way! I graduated from Ohio University (Go Bobcats!) with my bachelors in K-12 physical education and then graduated from Concordia University with my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. I coach 7th grade girls volleyball and am the head varsity softball coach at Waubonsie Valley High School. I grew up in the Naperville area and am a product of district 204. I went to Brookdale Elementary, Hill Middle School, and Waubonsie Valley. I am the oldest of three girls, The Wood Girls, as we are often called. My sisters are Alice and Ellen and my parents are Ray and Marilyn. In 2006, my parents moved out of the cold and into the heat of Dallas, Texas. My middle sister, Alice, went with them and met and her husband Nicolas. They have the greatest person alive, my niece Evelyn and they just had my nephew, Thomas. (Pictures will be posted soon!) My youngest sister, Ellen, lives in Minneapolis with her husband Alejandro. I am the only one that stayed in the area and I get a little homesick from time to time, but that's why Facetime and airplanes were invented!
I started my teaching career on the south side of Chicago at McKinley Park Elementary School. It was smaller K-8 school built to house the overflow of the surrounding schools. While at McKinley, I was able to spread my wings, take risks and make the PE program my own. Since I was the only PE teacher, I had free range to do what I wanted but didn't have the opportunity to collaborate with other PE teachers. Being a new teacher, the only guidance I had was my cooperating teacher from student teaching who was in Ohio. Even though I was having the time of my life living in the big bad city, I felt like I needed more. I made the move to the suburbs where I landed a job in IPSD 204 at Granger Middle School. While at Granger, I realized working with other teachers and collaborating was what I was missing from the city. I was able to try a new lesson and actually get feedback from my colleagues which were in the SAME building. I know it sounds like something small and most people would love nothing more than to not have co-workers, I welcome it! I can say without any reservations, that I learned the most from my colleagues at Granger. They were some of the best people that I have ever had the pleasure to teach with and I can not thank them enough for everything they taught me and continue to teach me.
Over the three years that I was at Granger, the district kept growing and the schools became more and more overcrowded. A new middle school and a high school were opened which meant lots of moves were going to be made. Unfortunately for me, that meant that I was to be moved to another school since I was the lowest on the totem pole in my department. When I got the news that I was going to be moved to Still Middle School. To say I was upset it putting it mildly. I considered us all a family and I was reluctant to leave. The first year was pretty rough. I was resentful, upset and missed my Granger friends terribly. It was to the point that I was still setting up weekly happy hours for all of us to go to. Once I got through the first year, everything started falling into place. I focused on making connections with the kids. It wasn't just teachers that were moved, the kids were also shuffled from school to school. I wanted them to see that we were in it together and we would get through it together. While at Still, a lot of doors opened for me. I had opportunities to take on some management roles, lead teacher roles, and department head roles. I was even able to become the head coach at WVHS which may not have happened if I had stayed at Granger. Nine years later, I am still at SMS and I think if I were to be moved again, they may have to take me kicking and screaming.
Below are some pictures of the most important people in my life...my family. I don't know what I would do without them.
And here we are....The Wood Girls. These two ladies are the best people I know. We don't always agree and we have had some knock down, drag out fights, but at the end of the day, we are sisters and nothing will ever change that. I don't care if you all are married now, we will always be Wood Girls.
I started my teaching career on the south side of Chicago at McKinley Park Elementary School. It was smaller K-8 school built to house the overflow of the surrounding schools. While at McKinley, I was able to spread my wings, take risks and make the PE program my own. Since I was the only PE teacher, I had free range to do what I wanted but didn't have the opportunity to collaborate with other PE teachers. Being a new teacher, the only guidance I had was my cooperating teacher from student teaching who was in Ohio. Even though I was having the time of my life living in the big bad city, I felt like I needed more. I made the move to the suburbs where I landed a job in IPSD 204 at Granger Middle School. While at Granger, I realized working with other teachers and collaborating was what I was missing from the city. I was able to try a new lesson and actually get feedback from my colleagues which were in the SAME building. I know it sounds like something small and most people would love nothing more than to not have co-workers, I welcome it! I can say without any reservations, that I learned the most from my colleagues at Granger. They were some of the best people that I have ever had the pleasure to teach with and I can not thank them enough for everything they taught me and continue to teach me.
Over the three years that I was at Granger, the district kept growing and the schools became more and more overcrowded. A new middle school and a high school were opened which meant lots of moves were going to be made. Unfortunately for me, that meant that I was to be moved to another school since I was the lowest on the totem pole in my department. When I got the news that I was going to be moved to Still Middle School. To say I was upset it putting it mildly. I considered us all a family and I was reluctant to leave. The first year was pretty rough. I was resentful, upset and missed my Granger friends terribly. It was to the point that I was still setting up weekly happy hours for all of us to go to. Once I got through the first year, everything started falling into place. I focused on making connections with the kids. It wasn't just teachers that were moved, the kids were also shuffled from school to school. I wanted them to see that we were in it together and we would get through it together. While at Still, a lot of doors opened for me. I had opportunities to take on some management roles, lead teacher roles, and department head roles. I was even able to become the head coach at WVHS which may not have happened if I had stayed at Granger. Nine years later, I am still at SMS and I think if I were to be moved again, they may have to take me kicking and screaming.
Below are some pictures of the most important people in my life...my family. I don't know what I would do without them.
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| This is my dad, Ray. He loves softball more than I do which is great for me because he will brave the cold Chicago spring just to watch me coach my softball team. |
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| Evelyn and I love doing SnapChat filters whenever I am visiting in Texas. She is the perfect mix of sweet and sassy. |
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| Can you have best friends that are under the age of 5? These two light up my life every day. Evelyn: 3 Thomas 7 mos. |
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| The lovely woman on the far right is my mom, Marilyn. She is the heart and soul of our family and we would be lost without her! |
And here we are....The Wood Girls. These two ladies are the best people I know. We don't always agree and we have had some knock down, drag out fights, but at the end of the day, we are sisters and nothing will ever change that. I don't care if you all are married now, we will always be Wood Girls.
Valerie, I love the pictures you included in your post. I am very close to my family too and I also have two sisters (the best). Thanks for sharing your journey in the district. It is always so hard to leave good friends/coworkers, but it is so cool to see the different opportunities that opened up with the change. Awesome that you coach--it's such a fun way to connect with kids. I used to coach swimming! I'm excited to learn from you this semester. -Megan
ReplyDeleteHey Valerie,
ReplyDeleteI come from a big family, 1 of 9, so I understand why you're close to your family. Its always nice to know you will have people there for you no matter what. You are very busy with all of your commitments, that is awesome you are so involved! Being a 3rd year teacher I have found it hard to balance work, coaching, and my social life, it seems one is always taking up more time than I would like...so any suggestions from a vet would be useful/appreciated. Looking forward to working and learning with you!
Keivn
Great information, Valerie! I congratulate you for your accomplishments. I don't know if you felt the same way I did, but teaching at a Chicago school brings a lot of things in perspective. I was able to do my clinicals and student teaching at CPS schools and, let me tell you, you appreciate 204. Not a perfect district, I feel that 204 teachers work well with each other and collaboration is key in student success. Thanks for sharing and looking forward to the upcoming weeks.
ReplyDeletePedro
Hi Valerie, loved the family pictures that you included. I totally understand the homesick feeling (my siblings live in Germany and Singapore and dad in India).
ReplyDeleteHi Valerie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving us a glimpse of your amazing world - you are so right about the importance of family. They are a rock in my life, too. I read somewhere that a sister is probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship. I can certainly see this in your family!
Sincerely,
Theresa
Hi Valarie!
ReplyDeleteI have also taught around IPSD 204. I started at Fry Elementary, then was unexpectedly transferred (2 weeks before school started!) to Welch Elementary, and a few years later took a position at Cowlishaw Elementary. I was also upset by leaving my "work family" (the staff at Fry) to go to Welch, but have come to realized that unexpected building change was one of the best things that has happened in my career. And let's be honest, isn't Institute Day more fun when you get to catch up with old friends from previous buildings? ;)
Have a great day,
Fallyn
P.S. I am currently in an ELL cohort with 2 staff members from Still.
Hi Valarie, Thanks for sharing. I appreciate the insight that you gave about how you got through some difficult situations in your educational career. Your students are lucky to have such a motivated and dedicated teacher.
ReplyDelete