Three WEEKS Down

Hey y'all!

I am flummoxed as to how three weeks have gone by already. It's crazy, isn't it, how it flies by? Here are some things I've learned so far.

1. Teaching is physically and emotionally exhausting. I'm on my feet all day, and in my bits of "free time", I'm going to the guidance counselor's office, to the main office, to the copy room, to team meetings...I barely have time to breathe. And my room has a lot of adults in it, which, for someone who needs her alone time to get her head in the game and sort through things, is very much a source of frustration.

2. Kids! They go crazy at the full moon. I have nothing further to add to that.

3. Other teachers will provide advice. Sometimes, you want the advice. Other times, it's less "advice" and more "condescending and unhelpful". I'm good about asking for help. Still figuring out how to kindly tell someone to stop with the commentary.

4. Math fundamentals are SO key. I've spoken to secondary teachers who work in math. They tell me their content is hard to teach. I bet it is. My kids struggle with basic math concepts, and if that backslide has started already, higher level math must be a beast.

Anyhow. I'm slowly finding my footing, and I still love what I do. It's just really, really hard.

xoxo

Miss Zee

Three Days In: Let's See...

Hey y'all!

Three days into teaching! Woo! It's...exhausting. My lower back is a mess of knots from standing, bending over small desks, or squatting to listen to a child read. I got my first spontaneous hug today, a child asked me a question I could not answer (birds...bees...you get the idea), and we spent a long time practicing going from carpet to tables and back again.

I know everyone said teaching was all about behavior management. To me, it's classroom management. I'm not a teacher - I'm a classroom manager. I manage time in a way that everyone gets to pee, eat food, move around, learn to handle petty arguments, get from Point A to Point B in one piece, and learn. Teaching in the purest sense is just a part of my job.

I'm trying to call parents to say hello, and start our relationships on a positive note. Five calls today, a few more tomorrow, and hopefully knock out the rest before our Back-to-School Night. Parental attendance is typically low, so I'd like to get a happy hook in so that they want to come to my classroom. I'm starting with the kids who I feel certain will be the recipients of less-positive calls later on, and it's amusing to hear the surprise in the parents' voices when I say "Nothing's wrong, just calling to say hello and how happy I am to have ___ in my class!". For some parents, I explicitly mention a great thing I've seen their kid doing - just to be sure they know that, despite reputations, their children have wonderful qualities, too.

How about you? What are you doing to reach out to parents?

xoxo
Miss Zee

First Day!

Hey y'all,

Did anyone else sleep oddly last night? I feel well-rested but I definitely woke up a few times, and I also was up before the sun, which is horrifying to a girl who still loves to sleep in till noon.

For many of us, today is the FIRST FREAKING DAY. I've spent the past week nesting in my room, having class lists change once, twice, three times, and planning like a crazy lady. I think I'm ready - my to-do list just has a few last-minute laminations, stapling one more thing, and taking a deep breath.

Also, figuring out where I can find a working projector cart, setting up the SMART board, and a few other things that are important...

Sigh.

Anyhow. I'm really excited to start school today, and I cannot wait to meet all of my kids. I'll be back with a much longer update later on - and y'all better let me know how your first days go!

xoxo
Miss Zee