So I am teaching a total of three classes so far. There is block scheduling so on odd days I am only teaching one class (twelfth grade honors) and then on even days I am teaching two class (per.3 is a tenth grade honors and per.5 is a twelfth grade cp class). This is the first week that I have both classes in one day. It is stressful but I like it. I am so happy that I am finally getting a chance to get some real "teachery" experiences. The classes are back to back so I have to be ready to transition between the two classes quickly.
Today I had per. 3 in groups so I had to make sure that the class room was re-arranged into a circle for Period 5. I had to change the warm up on the board and the "objective of the day". They are small things...but before this week I have had a whole hour to prepare and double check everything. Now I have a few minutes between classes to get things ready for the next group of students walking in. Things have gone well the the past two days that I have had two classes but I can see why I need to be prepared before the start of everyday. There is not really anytime in between to prepare anything/ make copies. I am always prepared but my biggest worry right now is forgetting something. I find myself counting the copies to make sure I have enough for each class....as if when I made 35 copies only 32 came out....so yeah everything is going fine I just feel like kind of a nut sometimes.
Kaitlin: It seems like you are finally experiencing that feeling of keeping 9 balls in the air at once. After 18 years as an educator, I still feel like this most days. Teaching is such a complex activity, which is why it is so difficult to "teach." We can teach the formats and the strategies and the protocols and the problem solving. But, you kind of have to get out there and do it to feel what it feels like. There's nothing that feels quite like teaching school every day and having the physical and intellectual and emotional pieces of yourself taxed and tired. I'm so glad to know it's going well so far and to know you're teaching so many seniors. I'm also so glad to know that you see the value in writing down an explicit plan for each day. Failing to plan is planning to fail! See you tomorrow night.
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