Insights from a first-year teacher at Sonoma Valley High

When I’m not grading assignments, sweeping my room or purchasing supplies (and treats) for stimulating lessons, you can find me - actually, it’s not so easy to find me, unless you know where to look. I’m most often anchored to my kitchen island, surveying mountains of notebooks, calendars, lesson plans and boxes, until hours later when the red sky of morning cautions me, and all similar sailors, to take warning. School is about to start.

That was setting; now for character: Ten years ago, I myself was a high school senior and, four years ago, I graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a bachelor’s degree in English. After working as a content marketer and copy editor for Zoho Corporation in Pleasanton, I was ready for a change and I received my teaching credential at Sonoma State University.

In year one as an English teacher, I experienced plenty of trepidation. While newcomers to other professions might be advised simply to show up on time and do the best they can, the advice for new teachers is daunting. Some of it is specific: “First have a plan. Then have a backup plan. Then have a backup plan to the backup plan!” Some of it is general: “Have courage!” And some of it is pragmatic: “If you don’t have courage, at least have cookies!”

Already I can see that survival depends on the ability to adapt quickly and on the gift of good instincts. My nicely appointed classroom is my new habitat. (I always try to wear protective clothing!)

And I often rely on instinct. One day I ask a seemingly disengaged student to come to the front of the class to make an oral contribution. He is nervous. I am more nervous. I patiently prompt him with questions. Halfway through he does not seem willing to meet me halfway. But I can’t give up.

A few minutes later, a wonderful result. He uses an “although” clause to frame a topic sentence for an argumentative paragraph, something we worked with in class in previous weeks, when he didn’t seem to be paying attention. We are both pleasantly surprised!

Ten years doesn’t sound like a lot of time. But since I was last in high school, the classroom seems different. The biggest change I see every day is the support students show each other. Students literally cheer each other on to participate and succeed, and they are eager to share their writing with each other - even when the writing is personal. Maybe they sense that the world they are facing is more challenging than it was for their older siblings or for their parents, and they are getting ready for it by learning to work collaboratively and cooperatively.

It’s not only the students who understand the importance of working together. At Sonoma Valley High School, no teacher is an island. The administration, faculty and staff - everybody works around the clock to achieve the same goal. I can’t imagine a group of professionals anywhere who are more dedicated, kind and inspiring than the group here. Ten years in the outside world has been enough to teach me that.

Abigail Jennings grew up in Sacramento but Sonoma was her second home. Her grandmother has lived in Sonoma since 1995 as a retired teacher. Since 2013, Jennings has lived in Sonoma full time. She will be sharing insights from her first year of teaching periodically on the schools pages of the Index-Tribune.