If you love education and curriculum, then you will probably feel right at home here. The Learning With Meg blog will include all things education and curriculum. I will also throw in some freebies along the way.
To be a good teacher, I believe you need to be a good student, a great student. The teaching world is a tough gig, the countless hours of work and preparation that goes into being an excellent teacher. The emotional and mental stress and the 10 million different hats you are expected to wear is taxing. You are not ‘just a teacher’, you are an educator, social worker, nurse, meditation expert, friend, mentor, cook, coach, a referee and so much more.
My teaching road started as a relief teacher on the other side of the world. On my first day of teaching, I went into a school feeling motivated and excited. Let's just say, my brief taste of practical experience and university studies did not give me the behaviour management skills I needed. A year 7 boy shockingly made an indecent statement that had the whole class in stitches. I stood at the front of the class dumbfounded. The next year was a ride; but I learnt a lot.
When I returned to Australia, I quickly scored a job in a year 7 class as a full-time teacher. I was young, full of energy and completely invested in my career. I discovered my love of curriculum and creating activities that inspired my learners. For the next 7 years-ish I gave every scrap of energy into my career. I didn't have an off button, I worked unrealistic hours, including my holidays. I loved my job, but my body and mind didn't. I lost a lot of weight and burnt myself out. Unfortunately, this seems to be the case for so many teachers. Teaching can have a shelf life if we don't learn how to look after ourselves and to sometimes say no.
After leaving the teaching world, I knew I wanted to be an educator of some sort but not in a traditional classroom. This is how learning with Meg came into fruition. I am now on my terms. I choose the hours I want to work and can be flexible to suit my family. My goal is to help teachers, parents and educators in their teaching journey. I want to create interesting, exciting and inspiring lessons. I hope you will follow along with this journey.