One Week Down

Well, I survived the first week of school. Why is that no one ever tells you that the first week of school is so difficult? I had to repeat myself 25 times a day and by Wednesday afternoon I felt like I was losing my voice. Children are very interesting and the more I am around them the more I appreciate their creativeness and innocence. They truly see the world for what it is.

When I walked into my classroom on Monday morning I had no idea what I was in for. 14 students walked through my door and I couldn't wait to get to know each of them. They are a very dynamic group of children who I know are going to be successful this year. I went home from school on Monday morning and thought to myself "this is going to be a breeze".

On Tuesday morning I walked into my classroom and prepared myself for the day. On this morning, 17 children walked into my classroom and I thought to myself "oh no, there are more of them". One child in particular had caught my eye. She had some behavior issues the previous year so I tried to prepare myself. Unfortunately, she changed the whole dynamic of the classroom and my students were completely different. I went home Tuesday tired.

Wednesday was about the same, however, I now had 20 students in my classroom. I wasn't worried because some of the other classrooms had up to 30 students so I felt very lucky. I did wonder if my number would continue to creep up the rest of the week.

Wednesday afternoon I passed out oranges for snack. I passed the last orange out and as my students began to peel their oranges one student yelled out... "I'm allergic to oranges". I'm not gonna lie, I pretty much freaked out. I told him to go outside until I could throw all the oranges away and get him a nurses pass. After I sent him to the nurse, it dawned on me I don't know anything about my students. I had a big discussion on what each student is allergic too. When the little boy who claimed he was allergic came back to class I began to suspect that he may not have been telling the truth.

Thursday the frustration set in. I started feeling like I was training dogs. I had to tell them about 30 times that day, in my most stern voice, to stop talking to each other. It just seemed like they didn't get it. Also, at lunch they were served oranges and as soon as we returned to class 3 different students told me that the little boy who claimed he was allergic to oranges was in fact not allergic, he just didn't like them. Thats when I decided that my students were truly testing me.

Friday brought on a since of relief. I was so excited to have two days off. Between the complete exhaustion and a suspicious feeling in my throat I knew I needed a break.

All in all, the week went very well. I truly feel like this is what I was put on earth for. I have the ability to shape the young minds of my students so that they feel success now and for the rest of their lives. They truly are an interesting bunch of individuals and I know that this year is going to bring a lot of excitement along with a lot of challenges that I am up for. Please check back regularly so I can share my experiences with all of you.