First week of school and my unexpected surprise…

Hello all! I’m excited to be back on here to update you on my adventures as a second year teacher. School in my district started this week, which to be honest seems way earlier than when I was in school. Summers don’t have quite the same connotation to teachers and students as they once did. With that said, I did have a great summer regardless. I finished up my master’s program (CADRE) in June. I went on a 2,800 mile road trip with my hubby and 3 sons… it was awesome! All-in-all, my summer was pretty full and rewarding.

Anyway, back to the topic of school. I met all of my new 8th graders and was able to easily determine on the first day those who will be quite the handful, lol. It’s always those attention seeking kiddos who are the most trying. By Friday, I had already assigned them one homework assignment, given them a survey, and had small group activities to work out our “Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible” classroom rules. They think I am a little tough, which means I’m doing my job 🙂

So, about that unexpected surprise… yesterday I didn’t quite feel right. I was kinda sad and felt like something was missing. I couldn’t quite figure it out. I noticed that I’d look at a student and would mention that so-and-so looks like so-and-so from last year, or talks like that person, or acts like that person, or has the same name. By the end of the day I was worn out and depressed, but I didn’t know why… then it hit me. I was mourning the loss of my students from last year. They were gone and I wasn’t going to see them again unless they visited me. This revelation caused me to start crying like I lost a loved one. It was horrible and not something that I’ve ever heard another teacher talk about. In fact, I’m crying right now writing about it. What’s even worse is that I was practically shoving them out of the door on the last day last year… now I want them back. I think that what this shows me is that I truly care for my students and that we built some really strong relationships with each other. I hope that this will be the case for me this year as well, and maybe instead of pushing them out the door on the last day, I will savor those last minutes with a new sense of knowing that I may never see them again but that we made a difference in each other’s lives.

Well, I need to get back to working on my class syllabus and preparing for open house. I will post again soon.

— Stephanie

10 days and counting…

Well not exactly 10 days… but that is the beginning. What do I mean? Well, my district starts new teacher training on August 2nd and we train until the 10th. The first day of school for students is the 11th. I’m kinda getting excited, but really nervous at the same time. I hope that I am prepared… well, I know I will be, but I hope it’s not too stressful.

My classroom… I haven’t seen it yet. I don’t get to go into it until the end of July or beginning of August. I’m nervous about my room. Is it too immature to have a theme for 8th graders? I’m pretty sure my 8th grade team had a theme when I was in school, but I can’t remember. I’m thinking of “Stories from Around the World” or something. I will let them make a passport and personalize it and every time we read a new story or book, we will mark them in our passports. Sounds pretty cool… to me anyways.

Lesson plans? I have the first 4-5 days of lessons done already. I’m pretty happy about this and even more happy that I’m not doing anything curriculum related. It’s all about the rules, procedures, and getting to know you activities… just like Harry Wong recommends. It’s after that that I’m nervous about. I am confident that it will be ok though… I have tons of strategies and knowledge up my sleeve. I feel like I could develop an entire unit plan pretty easily (said the NEW teacher after her Classroom Strategies class), lol.

Clothing… um, yeah — I’m a girl and a pretty stylish one at that 🙂  I have most of my teacher wardrobe planned out. I would like to get a few more items for the summer/spring portion of the school year, but overall, I am pretty prepared. I know a lot of veteran teachers push comfy shoes, but let me tell you… I love heals. I love how I look, and once they are broke in, they are more comfy and work better with my wardrobe. My only worry is that my student teaching calluses (I know, gross right?) are almost gone. LOL! That is sooo disgusting but so true!

Well… I think that’s all for now. Counting down the days and looking forward a new chapter. 🙂

Scared out of my MIND!

Let me just say that I am really, really scared about starting my new teaching job. I don’t know what to expect. To whom should I direct any questions? What should I have done by day 1? … the list goes on…

I want to be a good teacher, make a good impression, make a difference, etc. I think that I will be fine, but I’m still scared.

Ha! I know this was a super short post, but I know I’m not the only one who has questions. Maybe some of my CADRE peeps will post some of their questions and/or suggestions/ideas here. 🙂