It's All About Time and Dedication

I think a blog post is overdue, but time has seemed to be so precious lately. Between having grades and lesson plans due every week (yes, my wonderful principal requires lesson plans by 7:45 Monday mornings and grades due at 3:30 in the afternoon) I feel like my time is limited. And no, my parenthetical comment is not sarcastic. I really do believe my principal is wonderful and can approach him for anything. Seriously, in the first month of school I have been in his office trying to figure out student behavior, asking about changing curriculum, ordering dictionaries, increasing yearbook prices, and coaching positions. He has never turned me away or set my questions aside as unimportant. However, the deadline on grades and lessons kicks my butt, even on weekends.


Don't get me wrong, I see the benefits of them being due. It forces me to stay on top of my work and having final grades posted on time won't be a problem, but when I take a break from my Saturday grading--yes, I grade Saturday and plan Sunday--and look at my "friends" on Facebook, I can't help but be jealous.
I see girls dolled up and going out with their significant other. Last weekend my boyfriend and I went for dinner and were home and asleep by 10. I was exhausted. Last night I stayed at school until six trying to complete "busy" tasks that I can't seem to finish on the regular school day, like organizing my classroom library. Yes, if I let it go the students probably wouldn't care, but I do. I believe in demonstrating organization so that they see the importance of being organized and prepared. After leaving school, I drove over an hour to get to my boyfriend's place only to find that the weekend had started for them and wanted to go out after supper.
I was exhausted. Sitting around the house wasn't fun because I wanted to be in bed sleeping. But I also wanted to be up and spend quality time with my boyfriend and his friends. Sadly, this stressed me out. I was on the verge of tears from exhaustion and desire to not be tired. Thankfully, caffeine (which I NEVER drank before my-big-girl job) kicks in and I was able to  have a good night.
But today I find myself sitting at his kitchen table grading 7th and 8th grade paragraphs, essay outlines, bellwork, and creative writing. He was doing engineering  homework so we were at least together. Now he's gone to scout for ducks and I continue to grade (and write this blog).Maybe it's the school district, maybe it's administration expectations. Maybe it's teaching personality and personal expectations. Perhaps the next four weeks I'll learn the secret. 

For now, I did receive good news that my hard work is paying off. Even though my students complain that I make them write too much ("This class should be called writing." Uh hmm...English is writing.), my principal tells me that they report positively on my class. My first formal observation and evaluation meeting have taken place and I'm on the right track. Yay! (I was jumping up and down in my head when my principal shared his evaluation.) It'll all come together one day at a time.




I took a break to find my friends on Facebook. I see my other teaching friends are at Octoberfest festivities, apple orchards, and pumpkin patches. They look put together (as I sit here in my sweat pants and baggy sweatshirt) and wonder, "What am I doing wrong?" Or is the question, "What am I doing differently?" Perhaps, "What's the secret?"

First week of school is dun. I mean done!

Tomorrow is the beginning of the second week of school. Yes, I made it through the first week of school as a first year teacher. And...I learned a lot. Possibly more than my students.

I've always been a planner. I like to plan for the future. Living in the moment has always been difficult for me. Well, teachers have to live in the moment. With a class in front of me, I can't worry about supper or even the next class period. I need to be with my class at that time and moment and help them to understand the lesson of the day, not tomorrow's. I need to respond to their needs and their responses at that time.

Still smiling after my first day of teaching.

Teachers are also not forgetful. When I was in elementary school, I remember thinking that my teacher's forgot a lot of stuff. Between remembering my current lesson plans, those that I'm going to teach tomorrow, meetings, student names, and even taking attendance, I frequently can't wrap my mind around the little details that I'm supposed to remember, like what I ate for breakfast or even lunch.

My first week of lessons were mostly part of get-to-know-you and team work activities. These exhausted me. The students were very active and talkative, which I did expect. The only time my 7th and 8th graders didn't talk was when I told them that they had to complete a challenge without talking to their teammates and if they spoke, they would be disqualified. Yes, middle school students like to talk.

During the day, I loved my job, but when I got home and reflected on my day, I was exhausted and couldn't imagine doing more prep for the next day. But I did. The days were more stressful when I reflected on it  because I focused on the negative. Caught this kid on a cell phone, one kid had to leave class, and another constantly spoke to get attention during my teaching. I had to get away from the negativity. My secret--I took forty-five minutes to myself when I got home to run, play guitar, or read. This was my calm down time. Then I could eat, shower, and continue to prep while curled up on my couch.

Something that I haven't been able to do is keep my daily journal of my first year of teaching. I hope to make this part of my daily routine so that I reflect then and there on how my lessons could be improved. One step at a time!

Tomorrow's the First Day of School!

Yes. Tomorrow is the first day of school. I have been there several times throughout the summer and spent most of last week in workshops. But now, my job really begins. I'll get to school as the sun comes up and before students crawl through the hallways (because let's admit it, they aren't ready for school to be in session either).

Four years of schooling and a summer spent, mostly, planning. Ready or not, the students will come. I submitted my lesson plans yesterday. I have my to-do list for when I get to school. I feel prepared.

There's a feeling of concern, too. What if I forgot something? What if I can't take up the full class period? I can't let my students believe that they'll have "free" time at the end of every class period since they got it that first day.

In the end, though, I need to take the advice of my colleague: "Go in, have fun. You can't take back the first day."

When I'm sitting in my room during first hour prep, I need to remind myself that I love this job, this career. I am prepared for this school year. 

To any other new teachers, best of luck. Remember, we love this career!