I waited all week to say this... I survived my first week of teaching! All the time spent in school and trainings finally came to fruition this past week. People always say that the first week of school is so tiring for teachers. Let me just tell you. Those people are right. I went home everyday so tired, and found myself in bed by 9 at the latest.
I said that I survived, but I really think that I did more than just survive. My feeling toward the week was that I did pretty well. There were definitely moments during the week where I felt like my head was spinning from all the information and things I had to do, but I think (and hope) that most teachers feel that way during the first week. The week was just filled with so many things. The first two days without rotating went by so quickly, but in that time I got to know my homeroom kiddos pretty well. I already know all their names, and I kept asking them silly questions like, "What's your favorite sport?" I love asking them questions, and getting their answers, and I love telling them about myself. It's so important to build those relationships with those kids if you expect them to learn anything from you during the year. Personally, those relationships are my favorite part of being a teacher. I made it a point this week to get to know each of my students, and I would say that I did a decent job of achieving that. I'm pretty sure I know every kids name in the 4th grade (I'm pretty proud of that...).
Wednesday we starting rotating for the first time. The last three days of the week really went by fast. I only have an hour for each rotation, and that time just flies by. There was one rotation that I wasn't ready for. We thought that there was only going to be like six third graders coming to 4th grade math. Well it came time for them to come to class, and it turns out there were eleven of them. I didn't even have enough seats for everyone to sit down. I was definitely thrown for a second, but I had to deal with it and run the class as if nothing was wrong. The plan for that class went out the window, and I changed the class into a "get to know you" day. There were 30 kids in there, and by the end I knew all of their names, favorite sports, and animal.
Other than massive influx of third graders, the rotation days went pretty smooth. Most of my students seem excited to come into math class, and I love working with them and joking around with them. My goal is for them to be excited everyday to come to class. If anything, I want them to be excited to see me. I know a lot of kids don't love math like I do, but if they love me maybe they'll learn to love math too.
Overall, I think the week was a total success. Although there was a lot going on, I felt natural being the teacher, and I wasn't too overwhelmed at any point. I think the big part for me is going to be planning and making sure that I'm prepared for whatever happens each week. It was a week that I will never forget, and I'm so excited to see where this year takes me! Another huge thing was how awesome my 4th grade team is. They really are amazing teachers and were such a huge help in keeping me calm. They were always checking on me, and I really feel like they care about me. I'm still just trying not to let them down, and work to be a viable part of the team. But I'm so excited that I get to work with these three ladies because they seriously rock!
On a side note... I live close to the school. In this first week, I saw four of my students out in public. It was funny to see them freak out when they see Mr. Mouton not in school. At least they were excited to see me!
Today was the big day. It was the first day of school, my first day of teaching, and my students first day with me. I would say the emotions were kind of all over the place, and I felt it necessary to recap the first day of school. I mean, that's a big day of the year?
I really think this was the most nervous that I have ever been about something. I could hardly fall asleep last night, and the nerves this morning were insane. I was feeling overwhelmed and felt the need to get to school early. Luckily, Miss A pulled up right as I was getting there, so I didn't have to cross the threshold by myself. The last minute housekeeping kept my mind off was about to happen. Then before I could blink, the kids were already there. They all came in and started working on what was laid out on their desks. The question, "Who's nervous?" left my mouth followed by the hand of the majority of the students. I really felt like we were in the same boat, and I just told them I was nervous too. From then on, everything just felt natural.
My time at Huffines really helped prepare me for this day. I knew that I could teach, and I knew that I would have the attention of these students. What I wasn't ready for was how quickly the day went by. After what seemed like 30 minutes, it was already lunch time. The day seemed to go by in the blink of an eye.
Of course, I spent the first half of the day trying to get a feel for my students. Right away you could tell the students with the personalities and some of the shy ones. All of my kids seem sweet, and were well behaved for the first day. I hope that trend continues. The one thought going through my head all day was that I just hoped that they like me at least a little. I had them laughing and contributing to the class discussion, so I feel like I made a good impression.
As we were lining up to dismiss from school, I had one student tell me, "I like you. You're a good teacher." That right there made the whole first day worth it. It was an exciting, fast-paced first day, but I know that I made the right career choice. I can't wait to go back for day two! :)
I have just wrapped up my first official week on the job, and I was talking with our principal after a full day of working. During the conversation, she had mentioned the idea of creating a blog to write about and remember my first year of teaching. The idea of creating a blog had never crossed my mind before, but I really liked the idea of being able to go back and see the progression of the school year. The plan is to write at least once a week recapping the events of the week prior. The emotions, events, ups & downs from the week are going to be the main focus of each post. A lot of people always talk about how awesome it is to be able to just write your feelings down. I'm not the best writer (hello.. Math teacher), but I'm going to give this a shot.
So here goes nothing...
I had waited all summer, and the week was finally here. Butterflies in my stomach is an understatement of the anxiety I was feeling. I was blessed to have earned a job at McAuliffe Elementary teaching 4th grade math. Everyone knows what an amazing school McA is, and how great and fabulous the principal is. So when the idea of working there became a reality, I pounced on it quickly.
I was so excited to start working with my 4th grade team, but also extremely nervous. These three women are truly the best teachers that I have ever been around. It's only been five days working with them, and I can already see the incredible amount passion they have for teaching and working with kids. They never stop working and thinking about how they can make everything better than it was last year. I have learned so much from them already in a weeks time.They truly want to create "The Greatest Show on Earth".
So where do I fit into this team? I am one of two male teachers at the school. The other guy is the P.E. teacher, so I won't necessarily see him too often. I'm surrounded by women (not complaining). It's my first official year of teaching, and I'm stepping into a team with accomplished fabulous teachers. Everyone keeps telling me how great I'll be, and how lucky McA is to have me. But why? I guess I don't get the hype about me. I'm very confident in myself and I truly believe that I can be an excellent teacher, but I haven't proven myself in the classroom. I think the thing I'm most anxious and nervous about is letting my team down. The bar is set extremely high, but I will do everything that I can to reach it. Come Monday I'm going to have a classroom full of kids ready to learn. My fear of failing and letting my team and more importantly my students down is what is driving me to be the best teacher I can be. If anything, I'm going to love these kids, and cherish the relationships that I build with each and everyone of them because I know I'm good at that. I love working with kids, and there is nothing else I'd rather be doing.
This first week has been packed full of professional learning, setting up the classroom, and getting ready for the first day. I got to meet most of my students at Meet the Teacher on Thursday, and that only made me more excited for first day. It was a stressful week, but my team was so incredible and did everything they could to make it comfortable for me. There isn't any other group of teachers that I would rather be working with. They are an amazing supporting cast, and I have complete trust in them. It's up to me to work hard everyday, care about my students, and make positive impacts on their lives. I am determined to not only live up to high bar set but to go past it.
I'm so excited and ready to get this year started. It's what I've worked so hard for the past 5 years. This group of students coming Monday is the first of many that Mr. Mouton will have a positive impact on.
