In the final installment of blogging, blogging, and more blogging I've decided to write about the expected and unexpected in my first 2 weeks.
Expected
I expected to be tired.
I expected to struggle with differentiation.
I expected not to have an LCD projector.
I expected to laugh at/with my students.
I expected to laugh with my students.
I expected to be asked how old I am.
I expected to have to put fresh little boys in their place.
I expected to struggle with giving out consequences.
I expected to have a little bit of stage fright at the beginning of my first lesson.
I expected to not know how to pronounce my kids names.
I expected some students to be ahead.
I expected more students to be behind.
I expected to have a good administration.
I expected to be confused everyday for the first week.
I expected to immediately dislike some students.
I expected to immediately love most students.
Unexpected
I did not expect to be THIS tired. It's like a marathon, and I haven't really even taken off yet.
I did not expect to have some students who are so far behind that I have no idea what to do with them and actually sometimes forget that they're their.
I did not expect to not have an overhead projector. Painful.
I did not expect to laugh so hard at my students.
I did not expect to be asked how old I am every hour of everyday...Okay maybe i did, but I'm really sick of hearing, "Girl, you know you look just like a student!!"
I did not expect (anticipate) how unrelenting 13-yr old boys can be. Hormones are icky.
I did not expect to have a class full of the rowdiest 7th graders you could find in my lunch period. It's like classroom management 101.
I did not expect random silent letters in random names.
I did not expect some of my students to read on a 12th grade level.
I did not expect to still be confused on a daily basis
That about wraps it up. See you next time, folks.
"I did not expect some of my students to read on a 12th grade level." This line is a jewel. Isn't it great when you get something you didn't expect and its a good thing! I think if you focus on the good and just realize you have no control over the bad, your first year will be far more happy than if you constantly focus on the bad and the wrong.
ReplyDeletedid your feet hurt the first day? For some reason I remember how painful my feet were more than anything else. I didn't expect that. I also didn't expect it when it happened again this year.
ReplyDeleteKelly, you are a phenomenal teacher and you always have really positive and professional interactions with your students. I'm excited for your kids. They are going to love you. And you are completely right about not expecting or at least understand just how exhausting teaching can be. Even this year, I find myself crawling into bed late and completely exhausted. When it's the result of good lesson planning and a successful day of teaching however it feels good.
ReplyDeleteLesson from your post: do not expect anything but to be surprised and have a classroom management role-play scenario every period of every day. When you have certain expectations, your children may let you down, and you may even expect them to behave/perform worse than they might actually do. Don't let your low expectations lower your level of teaching. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
ReplyDelete