Well the children were back to their near perfect selves. Thank heavens for that! I have a great class up until 2 pm and then chaos. Unfortunately that is when everyone wants to come observe me. Haha life is crazy as a first year teacher! We as a class are doing better. Considering where they have been, they are doing great! I did have to call a parent today due to something that happened in the lunchroom but she was very understanding and super nice. I love how the parents feel that it is their fault and try to convince me that they are good parents. "We have very strict rules." "We don't even allow pop in the house," etc... So one of the ways I get parents on my side is to say I am sure you are doing all you can at home...but here is what I am seeing at school. I also had a parent tell me that she is sorry that her child is bad. I absolutely hate when parents say that and worse convince their kids that they are bad. So I pulled the student away and said you are never a bad kid, what you did just was not right.
I had my meeting with my mentor and we decided I needed to differentiate so that my high kids don't get bored and my struggling ones don't fall behind. So because my principal could come observe me at anytime, I had to get it done tonight. I also had to print, copy and staple printable books for my class so that they can each have a book to take home weekly. Wow what a process that was! I watched like 5 movies and just keep wishing I were dead...umm done. Haha. Everyone said that I was supposed to have my aide do it but well that is another story. I still am not done but I met my deadline. I also had to pull back children one on one with me to read their sight words that again my aide was supposed to do, so that I could send home their scores. I had to get homework packets ready, work on a classroom helpers chart, clean my room (something I am graded on), and do the normal correcting papers. Oh well baby steps right? Overwhelmed is an understatement! I have a student that refuses to do anything, one that constantly shouts out, one that I constantly have to monitor, etc... how am I supposed to reach everyone? I work from 7-10 every night and still don't feel like I have made a dent in everything I supposed to do. I talked to some other teachers and they said when they first started, they were there until 12 every night! Wow what a comforting thought;) I am just so tired of not getting everything accomplished that I want accomplished.
Lesson Reflections: I taught odd and evens with a song and a dance. Well we marched to determine what numbers are odd and even. Then we sang the odd and even song. I was so out of breath by the end, but they had fun. I think I will do that again:)
General reflections: I am just so not cut out for first grade. I run a very tight ship in my classroom. I am super strict and expect a lot from my students and their parents. I don't accept anything but their absolute best in work and in attitude. I am not the type of teacher that is coddling or demeaning. I am the type of teacher that is a consistent disciplinarian and expects my students to be independent. I don't do anything for them that they can do themselves. I am trying to teach them how to be proactive, responsible children. They are too used to everyone doing everything for them. I generally don't pick up after them. If they make a mess, I tell the janitor to leave it and they will clean it up later. I hand them them the cleaner and they clean it up. If the coatroom is a mess, I make them clean it up.
Me being this way, I have mixed reactions. I have a great class and for the most part, our day runs smoothly. My first grade team thinks I need to be nicer and sometimes after I discipline a child, they will go over to them and coddle them almost taking away the punishment. I give a rule and if it is not followed, there are immediate consequences. Like today for example. The students know that when I am at the table working with other students, they are not to disturb me. I won't make them clip down or anything like that. I make them wait until I am done or I say I can't help you right now, I am busy. Oh and by the way parents love me and the way I run the class. I mean don't get me wrong, I am not a witch. I am very well loved and respected by all of my precious angels. I get plenty of hugs and things the children have made. They love to tell me all about their lives especially in Spanish. I think it is partly because they know I will be fair. No one will get away with breaking the rules, it doesn't matter what gender you are or how much I love you; you break a rule, there is a consequence. Students like a fair teacher. I never ever yell at them and never say anything negative to them or about them.
Anyway, I thought that the interview process was hard but being a teacher is very hard work! But I still love it:)))
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