Lessons in IDT

            Lesson 11 stuck out to me as something I need to look into more.  Becoming a part of professional organizations for me, especially considering that I am in the very beginning stages of my career.  By joining professional organizations, I would have access to a wide variety of people who have different and, simply put, more experiences than I do currently that can help me develop as an educator.  Professional organizations are useful to build a stronger network of resources and, in turn, a wider network if I choose to look for a different position.

            I also found Lesson 18 to be fairly relevant to me.  When I first interviewed at my school, I interviewed for a math position.  I was dead-set on being a math teacher, and did not even look for positions teaching physics (which was my minor in college).  A few days after my second interview, my now-principal called me and asked to verify that I was certified to teach physics, and I, somewhat reluctantly, admitted that I was.  Soon after, I was offered a job to teach physical science with the intention of me moving into a math job as our school grows (I am now teaching 4 math classes and one Physics, so the transfer is almost complete!).  Though this may not be as directly related to this lesson as I initially thought when I started this paragraph (oops!), what I learned from that situation is that flexibility is key when searching for a job.  Though you may not always be as fully qualified as the employer may like, or, in my case, part of the job may not be what you want to ultimately do, a willingness to make changes and learn new things is valued.