First Snow Day of the Year

It has been a long time, blogspot.

I am sitting here curled up in my living room thinking about how much my life has changed since my student teaching. I am currently in my second year of teaching special education in an EBD classroom. While my job has it's challenges, I absolutely love it.

My goal for this blog is for me to use it as a forum as I move my way through graduate school and take the steps necessary to move into a high power career in the education field. I am by no means done teaching yet, I am just looking at how I want to filter my career to best advocate and support my students and the education system.

Lately, I have been scowering the book shelves of every local book store looking for information on how women can juggle school and career. I have yet to find very many books that support me on this, so I hope that whoever in internetland is reading this random blog will feel free to comment on any posts.

My first topic to reflect on,

"How to be a Strong Female in the Workplace and Why does that Label You a Bitch"

Man, I wish someone would write a book about this. I have been looking everywhere for a guide on how to navigate this and so far every book I have found is focused on you accepting your inner-bitch. That is not my problem, I am fine with being a "bitch". Trust me, when my students take votes (and they do) I am the first person to raise my hand in agreement. What I am not fine with is how society, particularly the people I work with, react to me being a "bitch".

I am an assertive person, I have high expectations, I work hard, and I expect the same from those around me. I firmly believe in professionalism and hold myself to a very high standard within my work place, that has earned me the label from some as a "bitch". It is hard for me to understand why as a woman working hard has caused my peers respond to me with resentment. Why does doing my job have to set me apart? Why does a strong female threaten people more so than a strong male?

I feel that I need to deal with this now so that I can develop myself in a way that welcomes people to work with me not against me in my future endevors.