Things i've learned from my first year of teaching
Things I've learned from my first year of teaching:
1. My first year of teaching was hard...... but not as hard as I anticipated.... I think I heard wayyyyy too many horror stories... Either that or next year will be my first year "do over" from hell
2. Fire drills NEVER happen when you want them to. And they always last longer than they should.
3. One kid can hugely impact the way a classroom behaves (and almost always to the negative). And that one kid is HARDLY EVER absent... unfortunately
4. The LA department really is the best department on campus.
5. About a week ago i found myself in the middle of an argument that had lasted wayyyyyy longer than it should have. Suddenly a light bulb went off and I heard angels singing and then i realized "WHY THE HECK AM I STILL ARGUING WITH A 7th GRADER???? I'm the boss here" It was one of those crystal clear moments where I realized exactly what I was doing wrong in that exact moment.
6. I don't have kids so excuse me for being this naive.... but I had no idea how much you can really care about other children's well being and future... The intense feeling of attachment to some of these kiddos took me by surprise.
7. I think I'm funny and I laugh at all of my own jokes. Even if the other kids are staring at me like I'm crazy. I still think I'm funny. Sometimes that is all I need to get me through the day.
8. Sometimes I forget that I am not still in middle school. Becoming a teacher has made my whole view on those few short years in my life change entirely. I see so clearly from the other side.
9. No matter how touching the moment is when reading a story out loud or watching certain movies in class, someone will inevitably ruin the mood by farting or making some joke.
10. If I ever doubted changing careers and quitting the corporate world to become a teacher, this year has solidified in my mind that this is where I was meant to be. I know I won't ever be the model for perfect teaching but I'm here for the kids. I'm here to make a difference in someone's life. And if that happens to one person a year than I (and all of you guys) am making an amazing difference in the world.
These are a few from my fellow teachers and i totally agreed with them as well
1. Never think "that won't happen to me," because it will. On the last week of school, or some other inopportune time like that no less.
2. Keep in mind that sarcasm is not always the best method of communication with 7th graders. They. Do. Not. Get. It. Rejoice in the four or five in every class that laugh and also get it. Stare at them pleadingly every time you make a joke.
6. Non-educator spouses don't get it. They try, bless them.
Also, no matter how many times I tell them to put the crayons back in the box, or the colored pencils back in the bin, or the supplies away in general, I can count on finding 80% of it in the wrong place later.
9. Someone will fart. They have bad b.o. and they use too much Axe. They haven't quite figured out the regular brushing thing yet and their shoes smell like a dirty diaper filled with Indian food. Kids STINK.
• There is such a thing as a dumb question and you can always count on the same kids to ask it.
• Being a grown-up is difficult. The choices you have to make get harder, the situations you have to face get harder, you have to take work more seriously, and way more people that you know suffer hardships than you ever thought before.
7. I am NEVER going into administration.
8. I am going to send out big smiley face postcards to parents at the beginning of next year to try to show that I am not a monster. The postcard will include my email address, phone number, website, and a super positive attitude.
1. My first year of teaching was hard...... but not as hard as I anticipated.... I think I heard wayyyyy too many horror stories... Either that or next year will be my first year "do over" from hell
2. Fire drills NEVER happen when you want them to. And they always last longer than they should.
3. One kid can hugely impact the way a classroom behaves (and almost always to the negative). And that one kid is HARDLY EVER absent... unfortunately
4. The LA department really is the best department on campus.
5. About a week ago i found myself in the middle of an argument that had lasted wayyyyyy longer than it should have. Suddenly a light bulb went off and I heard angels singing and then i realized "WHY THE HECK AM I STILL ARGUING WITH A 7th GRADER???? I'm the boss here" It was one of those crystal clear moments where I realized exactly what I was doing wrong in that exact moment.
6. I don't have kids so excuse me for being this naive.... but I had no idea how much you can really care about other children's well being and future... The intense feeling of attachment to some of these kiddos took me by surprise.
7. I think I'm funny and I laugh at all of my own jokes. Even if the other kids are staring at me like I'm crazy. I still think I'm funny. Sometimes that is all I need to get me through the day.
8. Sometimes I forget that I am not still in middle school. Becoming a teacher has made my whole view on those few short years in my life change entirely. I see so clearly from the other side.
9. No matter how touching the moment is when reading a story out loud or watching certain movies in class, someone will inevitably ruin the mood by farting or making some joke.
10. If I ever doubted changing careers and quitting the corporate world to become a teacher, this year has solidified in my mind that this is where I was meant to be. I know I won't ever be the model for perfect teaching but I'm here for the kids. I'm here to make a difference in someone's life. And if that happens to one person a year than I (and all of you guys) am making an amazing difference in the world.
These are a few from my fellow teachers and i totally agreed with them as well
1. Never think "that won't happen to me," because it will. On the last week of school, or some other inopportune time like that no less.
2. Keep in mind that sarcasm is not always the best method of communication with 7th graders. They. Do. Not. Get. It. Rejoice in the four or five in every class that laugh and also get it. Stare at them pleadingly every time you make a joke.
6. Non-educator spouses don't get it. They try, bless them.
Also, no matter how many times I tell them to put the crayons back in the box, or the colored pencils back in the bin, or the supplies away in general, I can count on finding 80% of it in the wrong place later.
9. Someone will fart. They have bad b.o. and they use too much Axe. They haven't quite figured out the regular brushing thing yet and their shoes smell like a dirty diaper filled with Indian food. Kids STINK.
• There is such a thing as a dumb question and you can always count on the same kids to ask it.
• Being a grown-up is difficult. The choices you have to make get harder, the situations you have to face get harder, you have to take work more seriously, and way more people that you know suffer hardships than you ever thought before.
7. I am NEVER going into administration.
8. I am going to send out big smiley face postcards to parents at the beginning of next year to try to show that I am not a monster. The postcard will include my email address, phone number, website, and a super positive attitude.
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