A "Little Bit" About Me
Hi There!
Welcome to my blog! I can't believe I'm even saying "my blog". I've been on social media since "Myspace" and "Xanga" days, which probably dates me a little (or a lottle). But this is my first ever BLOG. Bear with me...
My name is Blair Johnson. I am a black woman. I am a family woman: The mother of a toddler that turned two a couple weeks ago, my little two-nager. I am engaged to my favorite person who I met 12 years ago. I am an older sister to my forever little brother, who is only three years younger than me. I am a daughter to the best woman I know.
When people ask where I'm from, I panic. What do you mean? I'll break it down by my educational history. I lived in Cobb County, Georgia for my elementary years. I attended two different public schools and one private school for 3rd grade only. I lived in the Gorgeous Prince George's County, Maryland for middle and high school. I attended one private middle school and one private all-girls high school. I graduated from Towson University's Middle School Education Program with a focus in mathematics and science.
Since graduation, I've been a middle school classroom teacher, a grade-level team leader, and a math content specialist. Currently, I serve as an instructional specialist in the math office of a large school district.
Up next, I'm going to share a little about my experiences in each position. But, as this is not my resume, I will be brief-ish.
As a classroom teacher, I've had the pleasure of working with 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students (ie. middle school). I've taught Tech and Design (engineering class), Investigations of Math (Compacted 7/8), Grade 8 Math, Algebra 1, Honors Geometry, and a number of summer school classes. I won't get into my student teaching experiences, but YES - there's more.
Before I discuss my grade-level team leader experience, I realize that I should explain what that means. In my school system, a grade-level team leader is a school-based leader that focuses on a specific (drum roll please....) grade level. In some some schools, there is one team leader per grade level. However, in larger middle schools, there can be up to two team leaders per grade level; especially the ones that have big field trips (eg. College Trips, End of Year activities, Promotion/Graduation Ceremonies, etc). As an 8th grade team leader in a large middle school, I had the luxury of working with a co-leader. However, for summer planning and first semester, I was on my own. My co-leader was out on maternity leave, so I learned to collaborate with the 8th grade teachers, counselor, and administrator. It was an incredible learning experience that gave me a taste of school leadership. A taste that led me to my next and favorite adventure: Math Content Specialist!
I was a math content specialist for three years. Again, I feel like I need to explain the position of a Math "CS". In this district, we call department or content chairs in secondary schools: Content Specialists (middle school) and Resource Teachers (high school). Contrary to some, I supported a small department and had four teaching sections. Honestly, as a former teacher of content that is always always always in the school improvement plan, I couldn't believe I had to teach more than two classes. But, I'm not getting into all-that. Instead, it turned into another great learning experience. I think I'll share more about that as a blog post. For now, I'll share this: I learned to manage my time, prioritize items on my very long-winded to-do list, and LEAD!
Now, as mentioned paragraphs ago, I am no longer school-based. I work in a central office building with a larger wing span. HOW-ever.. this is my first year. I'm still figuring it out and I'll be realistic: I'll be figuring it out for this entire school year. I'm excited for this new journey! Although I started this blog as an assignment, I look forward to seeing it blossom into something that reflects my professional experiences in education. But... don't be surprised to see some math-related tangents along the way. Real-world application is important.
Fin.
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