4:30 I arrived at school bright and early at 7 am. I will not leave until 9 pm. Oh, parent-teacher conferences... Time aside, these conferences are quite entertaining. I like to see which parents actually make eye contact with me. Thus far, I've found that most of the men avoid it at all cost. Interesting. Overall, the parents are amazing. I enjoy meeting them and starting to see why my students are the way they are! And, I just LOVE bragging about the students to their parents. My homeroom kids are fantastic, how can I not speak highly of them to those who know them best?!
5:30 On a completely different note, the more time I spend teaching, the more I think that I'm not cut out for this profession. I don't know if it's just that I have not found my niche in lesson planning or if I just really can't do it. My lessons are creative and engaging for the most part, but they just don't 'flow'. I don't know what it is. I try so hard to outline a lesson and make it cohesive, but something is just not clicking. It's so frustrating, especially since I am the first teacher to arrive at school and the last to leave. Not only that, but I spend hours every Saturday and Sunday working. Working. Working. And, it just doesn't ever to seem to help any. I LOVE working with students. It's all I've ever wanted to do. But, this whole teaching gig is just not matching my abilities and personality. So, if anyone has any ideas of alternative careers, please let me know!
6:20 Remember the uncle I mentioned before? Well, Kendra and her parents just left from a half hour conference! Kendra is amazing, and I can see where she gets it from. That was probably my favorite conference yet! Well, her parents just raved about Uncle. Kendra's dad made her give me his number. And, apparently, they've been talking about me to him. Now he's "curious". Oh, wow. I didn't know what to say. It seems as though my students tell their parents everything about me. Pretty sure I blushed. And, yes, I got the rash on my neck... Good times. Aah.
7:00 Now for some cute kids stories:
1. Our unit includes a lot of topics that are related to physics. Today we discussed concepts like force, motion, and design. Well, while teaching about force (which is a push or a pull on an object, if you wanted to know!), I asked the students to use a force to move their K'NEX car. My little friend Rylan gets this saucy look on his face and thrusts his hands toward the car, closes his eyes, but never touches it. "Rylan!" I say, "Use a force, not the force!" What would I do without sassy kids?!
2. Later, I hear a couple boys having the following conversation.
Willie: "We got out of study hall. Ha! We are smart and devious!"
Dylon: "What does devious mean?"
Marcus: "Well, he said smart right before it, so it must mean that we are really smart!"
Willie: "No. It means evil. We're evil."
The other boys just look at him and shrug. While I, in the corner, laugh until it hurts.
1 comment:
Steph--If this isn't the job for you, I certainly don't want to tell you to stick with it, but I remember my sister feeling the same as you her first year of teaching. She says the 2nd year is much easier because all you have to do is tweak your lesson plans, instead of completely developing them.
You are amazing with kids, and your job has to have something to do with them (or you need to have like 10 of your own), because you are just sooo good with them. Have you looked into doing school counseling, or working with special needs kids, or working with after-school programs? You just have such talent for working with kids, you have to use it somehow.
I'll be praying for you. I know how frustrating it can be to feel like your job doesn't quite fit you. I feel like that most days. :)
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