Starting a new job anywhere can be both exhilarating and challenging, especially when stepping into education. We checked in with some of our new to district teachers to allow them to reflect on their experiences so far in our district. Each brings their unique blend of passion, expertise, and dedication to the classroom. Now, after months of hard work, growth, and learning, we are hearing these six individuals share their insights, triumphs, and lessons learned from their first year with us!
Ashley Blodgett is one of our new counselors at JCMS this year. Before joining JCSD 509J, Ashley was a licensed clinical social worker working on both outpatient therapy and medical social work.
“Working with kids was my favorite part of the job,” she said.
Ashley has school-aged children herself, and the idea of having a similar schedule to them was appealing for her which is just one reason why she joined our district.
“Working with middle schoolers is new for me, but the journey has been great thus far,” she said. “We have a great group of kids here, and I have the best co-counselor in the world!”
As a counselor, Ashley spends a significant amount of her time meeting with students individually. She works with them on academic, personal, or mental health issues. In addition, she spends a lot of time inside classrooms completing social emotional learning lessons with the students.
“The most rewarding aspect of working with our students is seeing our students overcome whatever barriers are in their way,” Blodgett said. “Middle school is not anyone’s favorite time of their lives, and to see them persevere through the toughest days makes the tough work we do worth it.”
As a new counselor in our district, Ashley is working her way through our induction program. She meets once a month with other new to our district teachers and counselors. These monthly seminars provide an opportunity to engage with colleagues across our district during job-embedded professional development.
“I have had opportunities to connect with several colleagues from other schools,” she said. “It is comforting to know that we aren’t in this alone, and just how much support we have from not only within our school, but district-wide. It is knowing we are not alone in this that has helped me significantly in this role.”
Torri Kowaleski is one of our new kindergarten teachers at Madras Elementary this year. When she was in high school, she saw herself becoming an art teacher to help students find their own art style and learn to love art as much as she does.
She attended the University of Oregon earning her Bachelors of Science in Fine Arts with a plan. That following summer, she started working for a summer school program, primarily working with students ages 5-8.
“I began to realize I really loved teaching that age group,” she said. “Being with those kids and seeing how eager they were to learn lit a fire inside.”
After the summer program, she started working as an educational assistant at a head start school in Portland and attended graduate school to earn her Masters in Elementary Education.
So far, Torri has enjoyed working for JCSD 509J. She is currently teaching kindergarten at Madras Elementary and she is loving it.
“It’s challenging, fast-paced, and also rewarding and heartwarming,” she said. “The most rewarding aspect is seeing my students learn a new skill and be able to apply it in their own way.”
As a new teacher in our district, Torri is working her way through our induction program. She meets once a month with other new to our district teachers and counselors. These monthly seminars provide an opportunity to engage with colleagues across our district during job-embedded professional development.
“That has made it so much easier to connect with other educators. Being new in the district and at the school can be a bit overwhelming, so being in the new teacher cohort has taken some of that nervousness out of the equation,” she said. “My experience has been very positive and I am grateful for the teachers here who freely share their wisdom about teaching and managing a welcoming classroom. They have given me ideas on how to make my lessons more engaging for my age group.”
Sandra Ruiz is one of our 1st grade teachers at Mariposa Dual Language this year. Prior to teaching, Sandra was an educational assistant for JCSD 509J at Buff Elementary for several years. She served English Language learners during her time there.
“As an English Learner myself I was able to relate to my students and encourage them to keep learning a new language,” she said. “But also to continue learning their native language and being proud of it.”
Her students served as motivation for her to pursue a career in education so that she was better prepared to support their language development.
“My experience with JCSD has been filled with so much learning,” she said. “It’s been fun teaching in the community that I grew up in and went to school in.”
Sandra is teaching 1st grade at Mariposa Dual Language this school year. This program offers academic instruction in both Spanish and English. 50% of the student’s day is in Spanish and the rest is in English. She has formed a special bond with her students this year that allows them to feel safe in making mistakes in class, and learning from them.
“The most rewarding aspect of working with my students is seeing their smiling faces each morning when they walk into our classroom ready to learn,” she said. “I am very proud of our safe community and the strong relationships we have built in our classroom. All of my students are committed and excited to help each other every day.”
As a new teacher in our district, Sandra is taking part in our district’s induction program. She meets once a month with other new to our district teachers and counselors. These monthly seminars provide an opportunity to engage with colleagues across our district during job-embedded professional development.
“I have met several teachers who teach in the primary grades, which has allowed us to exchange strategies and activities that will support our students’ learning,” she said. “One of the ideas from the monthly meetings I have kept in mind all year is being culturally responsive. I took this back to my class, and I remind my students that while we all look different and believe in different things we are all welcome in our classroom community and we all deserve respect.“
Eliana Swan is one of our science teachers at Madras High School this year. For Eliana, teaching runs in the family. She shared how her mom was a teacher and how that helped inspire her to pursue a career in teaching.
“I admired how she was always learning new ways to better support her students and challenge them to love learning,” she said. “Through college, I realized I could combine two of my favorite things, science and getting to know people, in a career that would always provide opportunities to grow and learn.”
Eliana is in her first year teaching and has already learned a lot from her fellow teachers, instructional coaches, and teaching and learning specialists in our district. She teaches Biology and Integrated Science.
“The most rewarding aspect is definitely just getting to watch students become excited about asking questions and understanding the world around them better.”
As a new teacher in our district, Eliana is going through our district’s induction program. She meets once a month with other new to our district teachers and counselors. These monthly seminars provide an opportunity to engage with colleagues across our district during job-embedded professional development.
“It’s been nice to check in with the other new teachers and realize that we are all going through similar experiences. I’ve also gotten different ideas to encourage student engagement from these colleagues.”
Seth Taylor is one of our special education teachers at JCMS this year. Seth has always had a passion for teaching youth and for the outdoors. Before joining the team at JCMS, Seth enjoyed a nearly 20 year career in natural resources working with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“Working with kids that have behavioral needs was an easy transition for me. I’ve always loved building relationships with students who need an extra hand, while teaching them tools to help them make the best choices for their lives now and in the future,” he said.
Seth is in her first full year of teaching. He started in his current role about halfway through the 22-23 school year after working in other roles for JCMS.
“JCMS has been a great place to work,” he said. “The administration and staff are very caring and supportive.”
As a new teacher in our district, Seth is going through our district’s induction program. He meets once a month with other new to our district teachers and counselors. These monthly seminars provide an opportunity to engage with colleagues across our district during job-embedded professional development.
“It has been great to meet special education staff from other buildings during our monthly professional development sessions,” he said. “These sessions have been a great way to connect and share ideas and experiences with one another. I can definitely say that 509J employs staff at all levels who truly put kids first in all their thoughts and actions. It has been a wonderful experience so far.”
Jason Van Nice is our manufacturing teacher at MHS this year. He wanted to be a teacher when he first started college. However, he found himself down a different career path and went into manufacturing and engineering.
“Once out into the work field and with several years of experience, I thought to myself I’d like to teach students what I know and have learned. That day came and I jumped at the opportunity,” he said.
While new to the classroom, Jason isn’t new to our district. He has worked for JCSD 509J for the past 14 years. He loves igniting the passion for learning and manufacturing in his students.
“I have great students and the most rewarding asepct for me is when I see that look on a student’s face when they get a concept down that we have been working on,” he said. “It’s a win for me they have succeeded. ”
As a new teacher in our district, Jason is going through our district’s induction program. He meets once a month with other new to our district teachers and counselors. These monthly seminars provide an opportunity to engage with colleagues across our district during job-embedded professional development.
“I have made some good connections with teachers from other schools through our monthly meetings,” he said. “It has been a great way to hear new ideas and bounce concepts off of other colleagues. This is a great resource for new teachers that want help in their area of teaching.”