Kontan.

Today was the first day with students at new school. I will be going to bed after this blog post.

I had great plans yesterday of getting in my room, setting up, and accomplishing my planning for the week. Instead I cleaned up and discarded the 30+ years worth of hmaterials that the previous teacher, a retiree, left. Look, I have my own junk, I do not need to inherit yours. Besides, preparation material for the California end of course exam will do me little good in NORTH CAROLINA! It wasn’t even the same subject. There were a few good books, but as Djembe can tell you, I am not hurting for social studies related books. There went my day.

When the students arrived I was lured into a false sense of security. They weren’t that bad. A little chatty, but they came in and sat down without issue. I gave them their new schedule and shortly homeroom was over. Turns out, I have a senior homeroom and I teach sophomores for the rest of the day. Wow. It was very much like having a room full of early elementary. They will have to be taught to the basics of respect- stay in your seat while I am talking to the class, do not talk while I am talking, do not throw anything at the garbage can or your neighbor, save your snack for between classes or lunch. I have always had good classroom management skills, but they were challenged to the limit today.

Just when I thought I had possibly made an error in judgment a rather large student walks by and I comment about how his behavior drastically improved throughout the class. I was impressed with him by the end. He looks down at me and grins, then extends his hand for a shake and says, “you aw-ite.” That’s a true compliment from this group.

Another found me after school and asked to go back to the room because he had left his bag. As we walked, he chatted and apologized for putting his head down. He promised it wouldn’t happen again and explained that with his mom in school and his dad working third shift he had to take care of his siblings and it was a late night last night. He also said that he thought I was going to be a good teacher, and that I had a lot more energy than his last teacher.

Reflecting on these two students I realize that the decision to change schools is not as crazy as many thought it was. Maybe for them it would be, but I really think it is what I am supposed to be doing. There will be headaches…oh so many, but I need to focus on what is really important- the students who need someone there for them.

Just to give you an idea of the type of school I am in, I have had “Pants on the Ground” in my head the whole day. So many reminders. It did make it easier to smile.

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