Well its been awhile but school has started again and while it's now my official second year of teaching, I still feel the need to record the blessings of my job. Whoever decided teachers needed a two month break must have had a teacher in their family or been one because the two month break was just what I needed to be energized for the new school year.
This semester is full of challenges already. I am teaching all freshman courses first semester which means a lot more "teaching of procedures and life lessons" but it also means I get to see the biggest changes over the course of the next 90 days. I am praying for extra patience though while I have 19 to start the morning, then 35 during the lunch block, and then 24 at the end of the day in the more "remedial" version of algebra.
Here is a list I made over the weekend of positives from the first few days. Just so it does not come across as bragging, I could have equally made a list of another sort entitled, "Things that Didn't Go As Planned." Instead, I will just focus on BIG successes and small ones!
In no certain order...
1) The first block students who told me my class was their favorite from their first day of school
2) My third block class laughing at me as I drew a cube horribly
3) A third block student who told me “I like your teaching style.”
4) Everyone being excited about using angry birds on our iPads when we get to quadratics. (I will find a way to use that game!)
5) My instructional assistant in 4th block--he is a huge help in 4th block! He loves the kids and the kids love him.
6) 4th block-how happy the stamping of a homework sheet makes them
7) S.M and the dominoes activity—he was so happy to do it differently and for me not to care he wanted to do it differently
8) K.M and how happy he was to win a bouncy ball
9) N.D talking to me each day about wanting to be an FCA officer and that connection with him
10) R.J and B.J-familiar faces and lots of head nods affirming things I say about how I do things (this makes me feel I practice what I preach)
11) Overhearing R.J saying “she is a great teacher" to another student
12) D.R's mom taking the time to write me a thank you for my homework policy
13) Getting to know some of my students through their parents eyes in something I sent home the first night (I will keep doing this each year!)
14) J.C getting off on the right foot because when I met him before school started he was proud of being in ISS more than class
15) J.H a very special student who smiles and welcomes me each day with, “what’s up Doc?”
16) J.S's humor—saying he wants to “spice up class.”
17) The girls who were absent but who still did the homework from that night
18) D.S being so happy he is my tallest student at 6’2’’
19) L.G, a student in need of some math confidence, getting answers right during notes and me remembering to praise her
20) T.K staying back to talk and getting to know he is from Malaysia and him feeling comfortable to tell me he didn’t understand
21) Administration fighting to make the part 1 numbers as good as they could for the good of the kids and us teachers
22) Another teachers' positive comments about teaching challenging students that we share together
23) Former students coming to talk to me—hugs, stories, smiles, and some STILL calling me "coach"
24) Another teacher overhearing students talking about meeting in my class and how they liked my class
25) N.W being so willing to sit at the weird table on day one since we only had 34 desks
26) M.H in 4th block and how precious he is
27) Having enough energy to go to zumba on Thursday night
28) 4th block doing a “good job” taking the water breaks
29) Getting to talk with my mentor from last year a lot (I love her!)
30) Not having to float because of Catherine’s sacrifice this semester
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