Oh my....what was I thinking? I know what I was thinking.....I DO NOT want to go back to the classroom, and I definitely DID NOT want to go back to the smart mouthed 5th graders at our school. So....with no choice in the matter, because funds ran out, I am now back in the classroom....going from 5th to 2nd. Talk about a mind boggler! I thought I would really enjoy the younger grades after being in all grade levels as Math Coach. It is quite different having your own classroom of them....especially at the beginning of the year. Do their ears not work? Do most of them understand the English coming out of my mouth? (I do have ESL and one non-English speaker). I also have 2 kids that cry alot. I made up my mind last week, that I wouldn't take the 5th grade Mrs. Bishop in there and scare the bejesus out of them! So I went in and tried to be nice.....and I knew after 24 years of teaching, you never smile the first week! Needless to say, I took the 5th grade Mrs. Bishop in the following day! It has been a rough first 2 weeks! Not only getting to know a WHOLE different curriculum, BUT there was NO schedule......I HAVE to have a schedule! ESL teacher wanting to pull out during my reading time for 40 minutes 5 days a week?! Then all my specials are at different times! I have been lost, not eating, or sleeping.....I guess the good is that I have lost 7 lbs.....that is always good! With young ones, you spend most of your lunch time supervising them thru the lunch line, making sure they know their number, etc. In 5th, you go on and eat your lunch! *sigh*
So my eyes have been opened! I don't really think it is the age group tho.....I think it is I got way too comfortable of being OUT of the classroom, loving my job, and now I have been thrown back IN to the classroom.
It is beginning to settle down a bit, but at the sacrifice of my boys. I am staying late hours, getting to work early, and still not able to get it all done. I have to take multiple things home to work on. It is a work in progress, but I believe it will work.....it kinda has to!
So sorry for not posting in a month.....I have had other obligations!
Ta Ta for now....time to get ready for another day with my 2nd graders!