First week of school
Okay, I'll try this again. I typed a really good blog about my first days at school on yesterday, but the computer shut down on me and for some reason blogger doesn't have the recovery function that microsoft word has.
I've just completed my first half week of school (school stared on Wednesday) and I'm totally exhausted. I was all hyped up to be teaching, but I think I've missed the mark. I didn't realize that it took so much planning. When I taught before I had one class of about 12 students (max) and I didn't spend much time planning at all. However, now I have about 180 students and I have to plan lessons for them for a 90min block of time. At first I was thinking that 90 min was too long for class, but I don't hate it. For the first two days I had students in class for only about 30 min due the fact that they had to attend a mandatory session on the student discipline policy and because I have half the freshmen all of my classes had to attend. I didn't like that at all because that meant that I didn't have time to do the neccessary things that I needed to do with my students (issue books, go over the classroom rules, get to know the students). So today was my full day with the students. I have planning time during my 1st hour so it gave me some time to finish making copies of all of the materials that I need. I spent so much in the copy room that it didn't make any sense. I have 6 pages to copy and because we have ancient copy machines I had to sort and collate the papers myself. The copier is not equipped with a hole puncher so I had to borrow (steal) one from my department head until I buy my own. We don't even have money to buy a hole puncher. After getting all of the things that I needed I was prepared. They've been telling us time after time to have a lesson plan and have a plan to backup the lesson plan to have a plan to back up the plan, but it took me so much time to get my lesson plan done, that I didn't have time to prepare for any changes that needed to be made. I just figured that I'd wing it after second hour (first hour was planning) which is what I did. I have one of the largest classes. I have over 30 students and the classroom was sweltering. If I heard another student tell me it was hot I was going to snap out. Second hour was a good class we got accomplished what I planned and had little time to spare. Third hour was cool too, but then I got to 4th hour and Leslie Sampson*. When I first met her on Wednesday she looked pretty innocent, but when she opened her mouth I knew she was going to be trouble. She quickly let me know that this was her second time taking the class. After asking her why she was taking it again she explained that she skipped school last year and didn't do any homework. I tried to have a one on one convo with her to get a "feel" for her, but she didn't even want to talk to me. I finally asked her if she was going to pass my class and she said that she would. On Friday when she came to my class she was already fired up. I don't know what it is, but for some reason the last class of the day always tries to test me. She told me up front that she didn't want to do any work because it was hot and she didn't feel like it. I told her that she needed to participate, but she wanted to go to the dean's office. So as a trade off to allow her to leave the classroom I told her that she had a detention the next class day. She agreed to the detention, but I knew that the dean wasn't going to have it and sure enough he marched her right back to my classroom where she proceeded to try to torment me. Because she wasn't the only one being disruptive the last ten minutes of class was spent quietly looking at each (me at them and vice versa). Jack, Leslie's accomplice, decided that he wanted to ignore me by putting his head down which is strictly prohibited. After the bell rang I told him and his partner in crime to stay after class, but both decided to leave. But, Jack, not wanting to get into serious trouble, came back. He decided to serve his detention for being disrespectful. As the day came to a close my feet ached and my heart was sad. I started on this tyrant of why's. Why did I leave the comfort of my air conditioned office where if I didn't feel like being bothered with anyone I could just close my door or leave the office. Why did I leave the safety of a college campus to teach students who could care less about me as a teacher let alone a person? Why do my feet hurt so bad? How do teachers wear shoes that are so cute and not want to crawl out of the building on their hands and knees at the end of the day? Why did this child, Leslie, not do what I asked her to do? All I wanted her to do was quiet down a little while she did her work. Why in the world do I have to do a lesson plan for each lesson? Why can't I just write out what I plan to do and that be enough? I understand objectives, but they are in the book why do I have to rewrite them? Why must I be observed three times throughout the year? Why couldn't I get along with my previous boss, it if wasn't for her I'd be comfortable in my office and not standing in front of somebodies else's child teaching them about sex because they don't want to teach them? Why is one of my ninth grade student's pregnant? Am I gonna make it?
I've just completed my first half week of school (school stared on Wednesday) and I'm totally exhausted. I was all hyped up to be teaching, but I think I've missed the mark. I didn't realize that it took so much planning. When I taught before I had one class of about 12 students (max) and I didn't spend much time planning at all. However, now I have about 180 students and I have to plan lessons for them for a 90min block of time. At first I was thinking that 90 min was too long for class, but I don't hate it. For the first two days I had students in class for only about 30 min due the fact that they had to attend a mandatory session on the student discipline policy and because I have half the freshmen all of my classes had to attend. I didn't like that at all because that meant that I didn't have time to do the neccessary things that I needed to do with my students (issue books, go over the classroom rules, get to know the students). So today was my full day with the students. I have planning time during my 1st hour so it gave me some time to finish making copies of all of the materials that I need. I spent so much in the copy room that it didn't make any sense. I have 6 pages to copy and because we have ancient copy machines I had to sort and collate the papers myself. The copier is not equipped with a hole puncher so I had to borrow (steal) one from my department head until I buy my own. We don't even have money to buy a hole puncher. After getting all of the things that I needed I was prepared. They've been telling us time after time to have a lesson plan and have a plan to backup the lesson plan to have a plan to back up the plan, but it took me so much time to get my lesson plan done, that I didn't have time to prepare for any changes that needed to be made. I just figured that I'd wing it after second hour (first hour was planning) which is what I did. I have one of the largest classes. I have over 30 students and the classroom was sweltering. If I heard another student tell me it was hot I was going to snap out. Second hour was a good class we got accomplished what I planned and had little time to spare. Third hour was cool too, but then I got to 4th hour and Leslie Sampson*. When I first met her on Wednesday she looked pretty innocent, but when she opened her mouth I knew she was going to be trouble. She quickly let me know that this was her second time taking the class. After asking her why she was taking it again she explained that she skipped school last year and didn't do any homework. I tried to have a one on one convo with her to get a "feel" for her, but she didn't even want to talk to me. I finally asked her if she was going to pass my class and she said that she would. On Friday when she came to my class she was already fired up. I don't know what it is, but for some reason the last class of the day always tries to test me. She told me up front that she didn't want to do any work because it was hot and she didn't feel like it. I told her that she needed to participate, but she wanted to go to the dean's office. So as a trade off to allow her to leave the classroom I told her that she had a detention the next class day. She agreed to the detention, but I knew that the dean wasn't going to have it and sure enough he marched her right back to my classroom where she proceeded to try to torment me. Because she wasn't the only one being disruptive the last ten minutes of class was spent quietly looking at each (me at them and vice versa). Jack, Leslie's accomplice, decided that he wanted to ignore me by putting his head down which is strictly prohibited. After the bell rang I told him and his partner in crime to stay after class, but both decided to leave. But, Jack, not wanting to get into serious trouble, came back. He decided to serve his detention for being disrespectful. As the day came to a close my feet ached and my heart was sad. I started on this tyrant of why's. Why did I leave the comfort of my air conditioned office where if I didn't feel like being bothered with anyone I could just close my door or leave the office. Why did I leave the safety of a college campus to teach students who could care less about me as a teacher let alone a person? Why do my feet hurt so bad? How do teachers wear shoes that are so cute and not want to crawl out of the building on their hands and knees at the end of the day? Why did this child, Leslie, not do what I asked her to do? All I wanted her to do was quiet down a little while she did her work. Why in the world do I have to do a lesson plan for each lesson? Why can't I just write out what I plan to do and that be enough? I understand objectives, but they are in the book why do I have to rewrite them? Why must I be observed three times throughout the year? Why couldn't I get along with my previous boss, it if wasn't for her I'd be comfortable in my office and not standing in front of somebodies else's child teaching them about sex because they don't want to teach them? Why is one of my ninth grade student's pregnant? Am I gonna make it?
This entry was posted
on Friday, August 25, 2006 at 8:25 PM.
You can skip to the end and leave a response.
» Post a Comment