Welcome!!

Greetings to All,

My name is Andrew Lynch.  I am originally from Pittsburgh, PA.  I moved to Jacksonville, NC five years ago.  I have been a third grade elementary school teacher for five years now as well.  I love my job and it definitely keeps me on my toes!  I have been married to my wonderful wife Amy for two years.  She is my best friend and keeps me in line.  Last September, Amy and I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Abigail.  She truly is the light of our lives.  Abigail (Abby) is having her first birthday this Sunday!  It's hard to believe that Abby is going to be one.  She is a chatter box, although we still can't understand much of what she is saying. :)  She started walking about three weeks ago, a few steps at a time, and its amazing how much further and more often she walks in such a little amount of time.   I also have a "little son" name Parker.  He is a 80 lb. German Sheppard who thinks he is a lap dog.  Abby routinely abuses Parker and he is great with her.  I have to tip my hat to him.  If my ears, fur, tail, and whiskers were pulled that much, I don't know if I would be so nice!  I look forward to hearing more from everyone through their blogs and I look forward to a wonderful semester.

Teaching is a profession that is either loved or hated.  People that understand the teaching profession see the commitment and responsibility teachers possess.  Teacher's must be a teacher, a babysitter, a fire inspector, a nurse, an accountant, a secretary, a psychologist, and a arbitrator.  They are underpaid and most times short changed on materials and resources.   They are blamed for failures and given little credit for successes.  People that are ignorant to the demands of the teaching profession argue educators are lazy, overpaid, and underworked.  Critics feel that teachers should be held accountable for not having all students achieve a set state standard, not taking into account the differences in ability, motivation, and parental support.  These  same critics acknowledge that all children start school at different mastery levels and that each student should be viewed as an individual but they insist that 100 percent of children reach a set standard at the conclusion of each school year.  If doctor's did not have instruments to perform surgery, would they save 100 percent of their patients?  Are politicians held accountable for the failures of our nation?

 As a teacher and student I encourage you to read my blog this semester in order to follow my journey towards improvement as an educator and as a lifelong learner.  Through this blog I want to provide you with first hand experiences and knowledge both as an educator, student, parent, and coach.

Hopefully at the end of this semester you will be able to make your own informed decision about education.   Enjoy!