Welcome! My name is Tomi Pogact and I teach math in the 9th grade. I am now in my 12th year teaching but in many ways though I feel like I am just beginning. I am constantly being reminded of how much of a journey teaching can be and how when you think you know what your doing and can relax, is when you probably need to change the most. Sometimes that kick in the pants comes from a failed lesson or a student who is struggling, and sometimes it comes from school initiatives such as our school's implementation of Standards Based Learning (SBL). SBL has allowed me to refocus on what the ultimate goal of teaching really is, student skill development and growth, and given me a more clear path on how to get there. It has been invaluable to have colleagues and administration who have allowed myself and other teachers to try things out as we learn and to be transparent that they are learning along with us on how to best do all of this. It has been a great journey so far and I hope that I will continue to adapt and develop my skills as an educator.
As most educators can attest to, teaching can be all consuming in our lives if we let it, but one of the most important things I have learned over the last decade is the necessity of balancing out my professional and personal lives with a healthy ebb and flow between them as needed. I am married to a fellow math teacher, Mark Pogact, aka Pogact, Pogie, Pogs, and we work together, which usually is mind blowing to people when they find out that I work with my spouse. We don't know any better since we met at school but it works well and makes debriefing our days quicker because we know where the other person is coming from, but it also can make it tricky to not bring work home. The arrival of our two boys, Grayson (4) and Cooper (2), has helped make that balance even more necessary and a little easier to enact. They are very happy, playful and energetic boys who we love spending time with and, at these ages especially, demand our full attention most of time. The few times that we try to do work with them around one or both of them will end up climbing up on our laps to "help" us type or assess student work. It makes me realize how important it is to be fully present for them when we are at home together, which in turn makes me more present at school, unless they are sick or kept me up the night before.
In order to do our job well and now to implement SBL well (which I don't claim to have figured out how to do, but hope to become better at) I think it is important for educators to be present. This allows us to get to know our students, know their skills and where they are coming from academically and emotionally so that we can make informed decisions about our teaching, give support and opportunities to practice and for them to ultimately grow as learners and as members of our community.
As most educators can attest to, teaching can be all consuming in our lives if we let it, but one of the most important things I have learned over the last decade is the necessity of balancing out my professional and personal lives with a healthy ebb and flow between them as needed. I am married to a fellow math teacher, Mark Pogact, aka Pogact, Pogie, Pogs, and we work together, which usually is mind blowing to people when they find out that I work with my spouse. We don't know any better since we met at school but it works well and makes debriefing our days quicker because we know where the other person is coming from, but it also can make it tricky to not bring work home. The arrival of our two boys, Grayson (4) and Cooper (2), has helped make that balance even more necessary and a little easier to enact. They are very happy, playful and energetic boys who we love spending time with and, at these ages especially, demand our full attention most of time. The few times that we try to do work with them around one or both of them will end up climbing up on our laps to "help" us type or assess student work. It makes me realize how important it is to be fully present for them when we are at home together, which in turn makes me more present at school, unless they are sick or kept me up the night before.
In order to do our job well and now to implement SBL well (which I don't claim to have figured out how to do, but hope to become better at) I think it is important for educators to be present. This allows us to get to know our students, know their skills and where they are coming from academically and emotionally so that we can make informed decisions about our teaching, give support and opportunities to practice and for them to ultimately grow as learners and as members of our community.