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!

Learning about Teaching by Decorating

A short list of lessons I've learned about teaching just by decorating my classroom:

1. Be prepared for cross-curriculum in your classroom.

Be an English teacher they said, you won't have to do math. (Never mind math was easier for me in high school than English.) Life would be easier without math. Ah-ha. Then a person with a case of OCD (though slight) started decorating their classroom: "Be an English teacher they said, you won't have to do math." I mumbled to myself as I drew a diagram, measurements and all, of the calendar to tape on my whiteboard for daily plans and objectives. Not so bad. Ha! I can still use my skills from shop class after all. Drawing on the white board wasn't as easy. My perfect measurements were off. Re-do the math. "Be an English teacher; you won't have to do math." It started to sound sing-songy in my head. Time for a new saying: "Measure twice, cut once." This applies to drawing straight boxes. I did this. So any crooked lines are the fault of either the ruler or the tape, not mine!

Remember how I mentioned slight OCD? Yeah, I like things to look professional and elegant. So my calendar board with slightly wavy lines with mint tape almost looks oceany if you stare too much. That was the next lesson I learned:

2. Accept Imperfection.

There isn't enough time in the day to organize each nook and cranny in my classroom. In the last couple of weeks, I've had to leave my room in a disaster knowing that I'd be back to clean up that tornado to only open another tidal wave of projects that ruin any organization that may have been there. This means I cannot expect myself to have a "perfect" classroom at the end of each day. This first year is a learning curve not only for my students, but for me. Sometimes I may leave school knowing, "Well, that lesson was crap. It left the students more confused than when I started." Just as it was "okay" to leave my room a mess and clean it up the next day, it will work to do that with my academic lessons. I do not need to be afraid of trying new lessons, new projects, or anything else new! 

3. There's only so much time in a day.

I left school feeling exhausted, but wishing I had gotten more done. I get home, get my daily workout in (sometimes it was a snack instead of a workout!), shower, make supper and eat; there's hardly any time to start another project. Or my brain is just too tired to start on that beautiful no name board that I love. It's okay not to have everything ready two weeks early. It will come together. Yes, it's nice to be prepared and thinking about what I need to do, but I need to be realistic about what I can accomplish in a single day, week, or even month. 

By the way, I did eventually finish my No Name Paper board! I added an exclamation point to center the text more, too.

4. Share ideas with staff. Or students. Students help too.

Seriously, ideas that I think will be fantastic but told a few of my colleagues  about helped me revamp those ideas so that they are more likely to work within my classroom. I also talked to my mom about my crafts. She helped me design a stoplight to use for music listening during work time and discussions.

I also learned from other staff that cloth works better for bulletin boards than paper because of fading. I went to my local Wal-Mart and bought some fabric! Students also have great ideas. I was working on my bulletin boards and became frustrated because I could not get the edges straight. I knew I couldn't cut the cloth perfectly and folding wasn't working either. A student came in to watch me struggle. She finally offered a suggestion: "Why don't you cut ragged edges on purpose? It'll add some interest and doesn't have to be perfect." Brilliant! (Once again, I accepted imperfection.)

 In the short time I've been at my school, I have learned that it's better to discuss my ideas (whether for management, organization, or lesson plans) with others and get feedback. It's great if my ideas aren't perfect, because I'm learning and also creating relationships with colleagues and students. It turns into a win-win situation for me.

5. A graphic designer as a best friend is FANTASTICALLY AWESOME! She sized and printed my posters for me in less time than her lunch break. It would've taken me HOURS. Lesson learned: Do not be afraid to ask for help. There is no shame in someone helping me. Simply see my posters below:

Now to simply remember these lessons when I feel as if I'm going crazy in a month...