Confessions of a first week teacher

Greetings true believers,

So I have conquered my first week as a first year teacher. I was VERY nervous dealing with my first bunch of kids from my first class to start things off. Even though they were primarilly silent and respectful, my procedures they thought were consistently "gay," lol.

I've had some great support from a lot of my friends and loved ones. Probably the biggest problem that I'm having right now is with one group of kids that I have for about half amount of my normal instructional time - but there is SO many of them. I think there is about 36 in there - yeah 36 to 1.

I also broke down my paycheck. It looks like I'm going to get 1,200 every two weeks. Which is like 600 a week, which is about 120 a day. Now, I see about 120 children in one day, so aside from all the morality and being able to touch a life forever - I'm getting paid one dollar to watch over every child. AND I pay state taxes, and state taxes pay my salary - so I'm technically paying myself to be at work. ohhh the irony

Other than that, I'm really enjoying it. I set up this project the other day when I wanted to assign the classroom job of "treasurer." It is the treasurer's job at his table to make sure that all of the art supplies are held accountable for their tables and return to me. I did mock interviews with them and one of my students said, "I want this job because I want to learn responsibility." I felt like my heart grew two times that day, like the Grinch, to hear such a remark. I now feel like I then, and forever shall, hold a point within that child's life that will make him into the man he will become one day.

I'm being dead serious folks, I know a lot of you are expecting a corny joke or something perverse to be said right about now, but I've really been feeling good. I'm no longer as stressed out, I have a feeling of my own space, my own idendity as a teacher and my own classroom. I've also become known as "that teacher in school who dresses all nice, although he wears these big long black Converse sneakers with red shoelaces." Yes, I have become icongraphic lol.

For the other people out there that have known of my bodily pains, since I've started this job I have also made a steadily ascent into becoming better. The lack of stress, coffee and acidic foods has helped a bit - and I've been surrounded by a lot of loving and caring people to help me through. Even though my first day was a TOTAL flop and all I wanted to do when I got home was cry and contemplate that I picked the wrong career choice, was the golden rule of "you're going to have bad days and great days - cheer up, it gets better." In fact, I've already been awarded with my first personal drawing from one of my students of these huge burling "Brolly-esque" looking Dragon Ball Z character hanging up on my filing cabinet.

thanks y'all and I'll contine to keep you up to date,



Bo