Four Days= One Week Down
The Unbearable Being of a Sweaty Mess, Disorganized Mess in the Classroom.
Unbelievably hot, exhaustive, uncomfortable (insert adjective here), that's the only way to describe the first week of school. I decided to just keep the lights off in the classroom all day, every day, unless a kid asked for them. Having an active class of students doesn't help with dealing with the heat, either. I tell you. I'm hoping their talkative-ness and fidget-ing is just a by-product of being hot and uncomfortable. Then again, they are 6. It could be a long year, but it will definitely be fun and interesting. I can already tell.
So, here's where I stand as I've been comparing the past two years of my professional career to this new position. As a brand new teacher a couple of years ago, I was given full reign of the reigns and/or leashes, which left me wondering what exactly needed to be done, if I was in fact doing things right and without much of a backbone of support. Then I was told that I needed work on certain aspects of MY teaching style. Given information that would have been mighty useful much much earlier in the two years I taught at this given school. Plus, the small town, small school environment of veteran teachers just did not work for me, because hey, I like to consider myself Progressive in wanting to move education forward, not stay stagnate.
Well, so, here I find myself at a new school. And it sucks to feel as though I've begun my career all over again. Not just with new people to impress, like that isn't enough pressure. But, I feel like a novice, in comparison to a few of the other teachers. And I almost feel like a pain-in-the-ass every time I'm asking for something or a "how-to" "what-to-do" lesson. I think I have my own style, which works, because hey, I mean, it's gotten me two separate jobs when the time was right. But what I've been craving was structure and guidance. Both somethings I did not feel I was getting elsewhere. At this new school, it's definitely there. I enjoy knowing exactly what is expected of me, the structure, the eyes on me. But, I'm only human, and it makes me friggin' nervous.
My princiPAL has already dropped by my classroom 3 times, out of 4 days, we've been in school. And today, I don't know if it was the extremely heat or the happy, welcoming of the end of a long week, but when she came and sat down at one of the tables, I could feel the friggin' heat and sweat perspire on my forehead as I read a story (Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse) to my classroom. Thankful they were well-behaved, listening, most of them were laying on the carpet (exhausted and hot, themselves), but I simply didn't care, because of the heat and the fact that they were listening (for the most part, all of them).
I ask we'll see what she has to say about the scene.
I've got some great personalities already, that's for sure. One little boy who can't stop moving, dancing, you name it, he's doing it-- when he shouldn't be. I loved that he openly admitted the other day- "Mr. Moores (yes, he adds an S to my name sometimes) I'm just ACTIVE!" Ha! I didn't know what to say. I laughed. I know I shouldn't, but sometimes kids just crack me up.
And again, today, he was dancing and said, "These are my dancing pants!"
To which I, wittily, replied- "I wish on Tuesday you'd wear your sit-still pants."
It was his turn to laugh.
I think I'm going to enjoy this.
Oh yeah, and my new apartment on State St. in Downtown Portland is not so comfortable in this friggin' heat either. So, last night, I decided to take my red plastic non-alcohol-filled cup out to the steps, because it was a lot more bearable outside around 9p then inside. One of the other tenants, an older man, was coming home and sat on the steps and we started talking, he was briefing me on all the different apartments, the crowds that inhabit them, the bums around our corner, etc. We ended up hanging out, outside, until 11:30, when I had to admit that 6a.m. comes quickly on a school-night. But it was interesting.
Unbelievably hot, exhaustive, uncomfortable (insert adjective here), that's the only way to describe the first week of school. I decided to just keep the lights off in the classroom all day, every day, unless a kid asked for them. Having an active class of students doesn't help with dealing with the heat, either. I tell you. I'm hoping their talkative-ness and fidget-ing is just a by-product of being hot and uncomfortable. Then again, they are 6. It could be a long year, but it will definitely be fun and interesting. I can already tell.
So, here's where I stand as I've been comparing the past two years of my professional career to this new position. As a brand new teacher a couple of years ago, I was given full reign of the reigns and/or leashes, which left me wondering what exactly needed to be done, if I was in fact doing things right and without much of a backbone of support. Then I was told that I needed work on certain aspects of MY teaching style. Given information that would have been mighty useful much much earlier in the two years I taught at this given school. Plus, the small town, small school environment of veteran teachers just did not work for me, because hey, I like to consider myself Progressive in wanting to move education forward, not stay stagnate.
Well, so, here I find myself at a new school. And it sucks to feel as though I've begun my career all over again. Not just with new people to impress, like that isn't enough pressure. But, I feel like a novice, in comparison to a few of the other teachers. And I almost feel like a pain-in-the-ass every time I'm asking for something or a "how-to" "what-to-do" lesson. I think I have my own style, which works, because hey, I mean, it's gotten me two separate jobs when the time was right. But what I've been craving was structure and guidance. Both somethings I did not feel I was getting elsewhere. At this new school, it's definitely there. I enjoy knowing exactly what is expected of me, the structure, the eyes on me. But, I'm only human, and it makes me friggin' nervous.
My princiPAL has already dropped by my classroom 3 times, out of 4 days, we've been in school. And today, I don't know if it was the extremely heat or the happy, welcoming of the end of a long week, but when she came and sat down at one of the tables, I could feel the friggin' heat and sweat perspire on my forehead as I read a story (Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse) to my classroom. Thankful they were well-behaved, listening, most of them were laying on the carpet (exhausted and hot, themselves), but I simply didn't care, because of the heat and the fact that they were listening (for the most part, all of them).
I ask we'll see what she has to say about the scene.
I've got some great personalities already, that's for sure. One little boy who can't stop moving, dancing, you name it, he's doing it-- when he shouldn't be. I loved that he openly admitted the other day- "Mr. Moores (yes, he adds an S to my name sometimes) I'm just ACTIVE!" Ha! I didn't know what to say. I laughed. I know I shouldn't, but sometimes kids just crack me up.
And again, today, he was dancing and said, "These are my dancing pants!"
To which I, wittily, replied- "I wish on Tuesday you'd wear your sit-still pants."
It was his turn to laugh.
I think I'm going to enjoy this.
Oh yeah, and my new apartment on State St. in Downtown Portland is not so comfortable in this friggin' heat either. So, last night, I decided to take my red plastic non-alcohol-filled cup out to the steps, because it was a lot more bearable outside around 9p then inside. One of the other tenants, an older man, was coming home and sat on the steps and we started talking, he was briefing me on all the different apartments, the crowds that inhabit them, the bums around our corner, etc. We ended up hanging out, outside, until 11:30, when I had to admit that 6a.m. comes quickly on a school-night. But it was interesting.
Comments
Post a Comment