Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Back to School 2013-14
I did it! I've survived 10 years teaching middle school (mostly 7th grade) for the past 10 years!!!! Who would have thought? Definitely not my own mother whom I tortured repeatedly between the ages of 11 and 14! (Karma gets me daily and she loves it.)
Every year my poor boyfriend deals with me being overstressed and panic stricken about making sure my classroom is ready for the new students I have the pleasure of serving. Not in year 11! I said to myself, "Ms. Scott, you can do this! You've done it ten times before and it all worked out, so year 11 will be no different. Chill!" I took the Zen approach and it worked...almost too good. My classroom WAS as ready as it needed to be.
From what I've learned the past 10 years, there is nothing I can do to prepare for the faces before me. It's like cleaning your house for a party but the guests really don't notice. Or better yet, cleaning your house for a party where you don't even KNOW any of the guests. Weird, right?! So I was chill, and cool and didn't stress too much even though I was taught to always make a good first impression.
August 14, 2013, the students came in, my room wasn't perfectly set up, there wasn't much on the walls, the desks weren't just right, and I didn't stress out. They came in, we introduced ourselves, and they stared at me worried and even more stressed out themselves. I provided "snacks and light refreshments" to get to know them and ease them into the first day of school. When they left, I cleaned up knowing I knew them a little bit more. It was a calm party to start out, but a successful one. So 2013-14, the party is not over for 180 days...but after meeting my guests, it will definitely be a wild one!
Every year my poor boyfriend deals with me being overstressed and panic stricken about making sure my classroom is ready for the new students I have the pleasure of serving. Not in year 11! I said to myself, "Ms. Scott, you can do this! You've done it ten times before and it all worked out, so year 11 will be no different. Chill!" I took the Zen approach and it worked...almost too good. My classroom WAS as ready as it needed to be.
From what I've learned the past 10 years, there is nothing I can do to prepare for the faces before me. It's like cleaning your house for a party but the guests really don't notice. Or better yet, cleaning your house for a party where you don't even KNOW any of the guests. Weird, right?! So I was chill, and cool and didn't stress too much even though I was taught to always make a good first impression.
August 14, 2013, the students came in, my room wasn't perfectly set up, there wasn't much on the walls, the desks weren't just right, and I didn't stress out. They came in, we introduced ourselves, and they stared at me worried and even more stressed out themselves. I provided "snacks and light refreshments" to get to know them and ease them into the first day of school. When they left, I cleaned up knowing I knew them a little bit more. It was a calm party to start out, but a successful one. So 2013-14, the party is not over for 180 days...but after meeting my guests, it will definitely be a wild one!
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