A Different Sea

While I have been teaching at my school for three weeks now, today I feel like I finally stopped long enough to see it from afar. As I mentioned in a previous post, this week is homecoming and so today we had our homecoming pep rally. Since the school is still pretty new and small, the administration is working hard to start some new traditions. All the kids were to gather outside in the circle drive while the band, football team, cheerleaders, and homecoming court walked by as everyone cheered. Then as they passed everyone jumped on to the end of the parade and we all walked around the perimeter of the school to the gym. I entered the gym toward the end, and as I looked up into the stands full of kids I stood in the doorway in awe of the scene. These kids weren't white, or black or Asian or Mexican... gazing up into the stands I saw a sea of brown. While I had always seen the school as a patchwork of many different races and backgrounds, today I saw the school as one... culturally diverse and beautifully brown.

Busy!

Things are good here in teacher world... super duper busy! I laugh now at the comment that a co-worker of mine at my old job made to me when I left. She said, "Well at least as a teacher you won't have to work as hard as you do here"... ha! ha! If she only knew!!! I have been getting up at 5am every morning to get to school by 6:30 so that I can cram in any last minute planning before my duty at 7am and then classes start at 7:30. Yes, it is nice that school is out at 2:30, but to be totally honest, that is when I start my multiple hours of planning for the next day! I am lucky if I am out of there by 5, but usually it looks more like 6. I am exhaused and drained and am desperately needing some time to myself. That is the down side, but the good news is that I think I am going to really love it once I get through all the junk that I have to get figured out this semester. The kids are quite the challenge (this ain't no highland park), but for every bad day, I am motivated by the fact that I can already tell that these kids NEED me...not only to be a teacher, but to be a positive role model in their lives. I was feeling really beaten down until we had "meet the teacher" night on Monday. I was assuming that most parents wouldn't take the time to really stop by my room since I wasn't a core subject teacher. I was so touched by the fact that there was not a dull moment for a full hour and a half! I had over 30 of my student's parents stop by my room and most of them just wanted to make sure that I knew how much their kid enjoyed my class. What an encouragement... my kids enjoy my class! Tomorrow is Friday! Another week almost down...

Spirit Week!

This week is spirit week (since Friday is homecoming)!

Today was "Dress like a Super Hero" Day.

Four of my guy students decided to dress like the powder puff girls.

Let me just say that not only were these young African American men not very powdery, they should have considered shaving their upper lips before coming to my class wearing tights and a wig!

Tired

Week 2...

Too many kids to keep them all straight! Have you ever learned 120 names in 2 weeks?
I feel like I am drowning...but don't worry, I can float on my back.
Realizing that you can't yell over them is half the battle. Silent disaproval says more.
Every moment of my day is spent on my feet. I want to chop them off they hurt so bad!
Despite the errors that I will make this year, I have to keep reminding myself that I can make a difference.

So, in a nutshell... this blog will have to be short... I'm TIRED!

First Day

Well... let's just say the first day is over.

It's a relief, but I have to say, my anxiety is not really relieved. With such great amounts of planning for each and every lesson, I know this entire semester is going to be difficult!

Back to today... My school is VERY diverse... "red and yellow black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world"... I couldn't help but sing to myself as I looked over the many colors of my classroom. With teaching Speech, there is such an emphasis on communications. I started the class teaching my kids the most basic of communication skills, introductions. Firm handshake, stating your name clearly, and eye contact seem to be such simple things that these kids just lack altogether. As I mingled around the room, I began to notice the kids with silent confidence.

I have several Korean kids in my class who don't speak English. They carry these small computer/calculator type things that I soon learned are actually calculators. They vigorously typed on their devices so that they could complete their work in my Speech class, go figure! I passed out a worksheet with various "get to know you" type questions... everything from Who is your idol? to what is your favorite TV show? The students in the class were asked to get up and present 3 or so of their answers from the list of questions (in an attempt to get them comfortable with presenting- since this IS a speech class). Well, after all the volunteers were exhausted, I began calling on kids. Sidenote: I require all of my students to clap for their fellow classmates after they preform in an attempt to be supportive and encouraging. Well, let me just say that most of the kids give this lacking effort kind of clap where they really don't care but are merely banging their hands together because I told them to. I called on this one small Korean girl and with head tucked she looked back at me and whispered "I know no English". At first, I kind of panicked, not knowing how to handle the situation, and knowing that the rest of the class was watching. "Can you tell us your name and answer just one of the questions?" I asked her. With head tucked she walked to the front of the class and stood there silently, staring at her paper. The classroom was silent, and then she spoke. "My name is ____ . My idol is my mom." After speaking those 9 simple words so silently that we could barely hear, I was amazed and inspired by what happened... every single student in that class clapped for her. Not just a half-effort clap, but a REAL one. The type of clap that you perform when you really want to express how you feel.

On this, my very first day... beneath all the junk that high school kids carry... I saw this raw and genuine encouragment for a fellow classmate... and I was inspired.

Aim to Teach

As I sit here in front of my computer on the night before the first day of my first year of teaching, I just hope in my heart that what Gail Godwin says is true... "Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater."

For months I have been filled with excitement for what this new adventure will bring, and yet tonight I can't help but cry tears of apprehension as I have never felt more unprepared to face the unknown that lies ahead of me. Along with the unease in my heart, I still know in my head why I am here... I am here to make a difference, to guide, to serve, to love, and most of all... to teach.

"What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches." ~Karl Menninger