Finding more of a Place

Yesterday and today have been SO much better than the first day.  I actually added a quote to my computer that I think I'm going to change (it's on a sticky note on my desktop) a couple of times a month.  For now, it is:

"The most powerful weapon on Earth is the human soul on fire." - Ferdinand Foch

When I was looking them up, it just stuck out to me, I had to use it.
 
Moving on to the really important stuff: I feel so much better about everything, and have been getting to know a lot of the students who I really appreciate.Some remind me so much of some of the girls from last year that it warms my heart to be around them.  There are even a few boys who ring some familiar bells for me.  I've been popping around different classes and things, trying to meet as many kids as possible, but kind of attached myself to one homeroom, to make sure that I was grounded in some kids.  They're not on my "class" load, but I don't care - they've been amazing to get to know. 

To share a cute story from today, I went on a tour with one of the seventh grade classes that I will be working with, and we were walking through where we go out for recess (which is near the school and I was not wearing the shoes for that to be a thing), but anyway, we were walking and one of the girls hear me laugh at something she said - my comprehension on some things in Spanish is much higher than my ability to explain anything - and she looked at me and was like "Miss, you Spanish?"

And I laughed harder and was like "Nope, I am so Italian it hurts."  And she was like "Oh.  Well, kinda the same.  Just checking.  ...Do you speak Spanish?" and I had to giggle, because it was so funny - and three days in getting some of the same stuff from last year is really comforting.  It actually helped me really feel like I was at home.

I also got to handle a discipline issue with a student and helped him come up with a solution to make sure it didn't happen again, and I directed a group of students through the hall and was able to make them go back and do something again when it wasn't HSR (High School Ready) behavior.  It felt really good to be able to do that.  So, I'm starting to grow into myself a tiny bit here, I think.

Of course, that journey is not done: it's just beginning.  We had a big talk in post-day reflection time about being yourself in the classroom and bringing your own personality to what you're doing, which is something I feel like I am starting to really do - I was doing it last year working one-on-one with students and now I have to do it moving from individual experiences to full classes, and that's hard, in some ways, because it takes a lot of self-trust, so we'll see how that part of the journey progresses.

I'm going to fill you in on weekly goal, since I'm including it in my tags, and I feel it's important.  It's going well.  I made my schedule about where I am going and when I am going there, and talked to the teachers I needed to talk to in order to get into their rooms.  I'm going to spend Friday kind of floating around the 8th grade, seeing things and meeting students, and then tomorrow I have another writing class to sit in on.  I spent a *lot* of time with one of the classes that I am supposed to be working with and have formed a couple of relationships with students that I think can carry through, but I have to continue working on that too.

That's all I have: a much sunnier outlook on everything than I did before, and I feel much better about it.  Now, it's just the beginning, and we will see how it goes, but we'll keep track over the course of the year. 

Second Day: Information Overload

Today was absolutely crazy!

We did all sorts of stuff to introduce us to data and data cycles at IMS.  It was super intense.

Like, it wasn't even examining real data, but it was talking about it and getting comfortable with it, and that was something like... totally crazy.  I didn't realize how much I liked that I knew things about data collection and analysis though, and I do have to thank my last position for that.  It really did help me today.

But, outside of that, we got our computers - I haven't played with mine yet, but I know I have to bring it tomorrow to do stuff at work, so I will be playing with it in the very near future.  We also did some lesson planning stuff in our department PD today, which was really helpful.  I love how things are done at my school - it's so student driven and guided, I just love that.

I did find out, however, that my cooperating teacher is not who I thought it was - in fact, I am actually with two different mentors - one of whom is also new, but not the original one I thought - and we'll be doing seventh grade writing.  He is a nice guy, has a kind of crazy sensibility about him - but I think he will push me and stretch me to be a lot more creative in the classroom.  I'm also working with another teacher who I will meet next week, and I'll be doing eighth grade reading with her.

I'm a little nervous, I won't lie.  I guess my anxiety is stemming from the fact that no one really knows what to do with me, haha.  I'm doing teacher orientation like an actual teacher, but I'm not technically one yet, and I'm glad for that - because I'm anxious and nervous about it, but I'm also afraid of being pushed to the back of the classroom to do nothing.  I don't think that will happen, but it's an anxiety nonetheless.

I am also afraid of not being held in as important a position as others, and of being used to do inane tasks, rather than actual instruction and the like.  But, ah well! We'll see what happens! I am going to be optimistic!

I'm stilling following my goals and being actively involved in things, as well as getting to know my mentor - though I might be a little behind on that one now!  I'll have to get to work more!

First Day Jitters: Conquered!

Hello there!

Just got home and started my routine for tomorrow!  Making coffee for the AM, doing dishes, trying to decide what I want to eat (I think I already know), and then pack part of a lunch for tomorrow.  There are so many different places nearby and everyone is trying them, so I figure I might as well too!  I'll just pack a yogurt and some granola and then get another thing tomorrow.

But, onto the important stuff!

I got there early (of course, haha) and everyone was super nice.

PD was definitely interesting, no time to really doze off or be tired - which was nice.  Some of it was very intellectual and there was some number crunching, which I wasn't prepared for, but it wasn't BAD.  It was just a lot - but a lot of information is good, in some ways.

I got to meet the new people in the humanities department (as well as some of the old people) and I can already tell I am going to learn a lot.  My schedule has me working with two seventh grade classes and one eighth grade, so that's something different, I didn't anticipate that.  I'm a little nervous, but also pumped because the people in charge of my day-to-day training are amazing.  VG, my main mentor teacher, is sooooo nice and a total book nerd - I think we're going to have a lot of FUN in our class.  Our room is HUGE - there are some random robot stickers on the wall, which were pretty funny, haha, and we have a wall of windows that look out at the church next door.

I don't know the other teacher I'm working with - she's the seventh grade one - for eighth, I think I might be working with the department head, who is super cool - I'm a little intimidated by him, but I know he has a LOT to teach me and he'll be a great model and person to go to as well as to look at for advice, so I'm excited.

So far, I think I am doing well with my goals, I did learn two things about my mentor today (more, actually!) and I was definitely "present" in PD today.  So, doing well on those goals - gotta keep up with them for the rest of the week though!

Other people are also really friendly, and I really like the people I've met so far - I can't wait to meet more people as the rest of the staff filters in and I will be even more excited to work with them as the year starts picking up.

Big project coming up in the next three weeks: Decorating the classroom!