Searching for my Magic Wand

During my first year of teaching, I found myself sharing my classroom with another teacher. She is a veteran teacher, but was new to the school like myself. We quickly bonded over navigating the dynamics and politics of the school. I was the 3rd grade resource and co-teacher, while my classroom-mate was the co-teacher for all of the grades where the teachers couldn’t cover the minutes. We were constantly bombarded by other teachers that needed a quick “fix” to their student’s problems. As my caseload grew from a manageable 14 students to a staggering 23 students, I was being seen as the solution for many tricky kids. Teachers and parents alike were always wondering why their child wasn’t reading, and when I would have them reading. Talking with my classroom-mate she decided that I needed a magic wand and all of my students would be “fixed.” So now the running joke is that I just need to wave my magic wand over my student’s heads, and that will make my life easier. Even though my classroom-mate and I haven’t shared a classroom these last couple of years, she will occasionally leave me a magic wand on my desk. It’s always a great reminder to laugh. While there isn’t usually a “quick fix” for my students, the magic wand is a visual reminder that the skills and strategies I’m teaching my students are the magic wand for them.