Finally!
I'm not sure it's really "hit me" yet, but it's over. Somehow, I survived my 1st year of teaching. The last week was chaotic, bittersweet, endearing, and painful. (Whoever decided to give EOGs & benchmarks 2 weeks before the last day of school was a complete idiot, in my opinion!)
My room seems so empty and quiet. The walls are white & sterile again . . . I remember being overwhelmed by those walls back in August, wondering how I'd ever fill up the space and make it look like a classroom. I can't remember a time when the room was this . . . still. I refuse to erase my white board yet . . . the kids covered it with farewell messages & cryptic quotes & signatures.
It was interesting, watching our kids deal with the last day of school. They started out excited, understandably. They actually behaved nicely during the final 8th grade assembly (did they actually mature since the beginning of school??) After the slideshow, they began the crying cascade, which seemed to be more of a "she's crying, so I need to cry" deal. At lunch, the tears seemed a bit more genuine. (Although, some of the guys were undoubtedly crying b/c it elicited much attention from the girls, I'm sure.) Then the giddiness kicked in again . . . maybe the leftover candy I gave away started to take effect. My room somehow became the (loosely controlled) R&B/hip hop dance party. Then they became bored, impatient, and started complaining about dismissal procedures, etc. Interesting cycle of emotions, I must say.
It doesn't quite feel like summer yet, since we're still working this week. Even though I'm not planning lessons or grading or supervising athletic events, I still seem to find plenty of work to do. Why is it that the work seems to expand to fill the time?
It's funny, looking back now that the dreaded 1st year is over. Yes, it was hard, and challenging, and difficult. But I'm already starting to forget the worst moments, and the bright days shine a little brighter in my memory. I guess it's somehow comparable to childbirth; if mothers only remembered the pain of labor & delivery, the human race would quickly become extinct. Still, I hope the second year is easier . . . it will be, I'm convinced!
My room seems so empty and quiet. The walls are white & sterile again . . . I remember being overwhelmed by those walls back in August, wondering how I'd ever fill up the space and make it look like a classroom. I can't remember a time when the room was this . . . still. I refuse to erase my white board yet . . . the kids covered it with farewell messages & cryptic quotes & signatures.
It was interesting, watching our kids deal with the last day of school. They started out excited, understandably. They actually behaved nicely during the final 8th grade assembly (did they actually mature since the beginning of school??) After the slideshow, they began the crying cascade, which seemed to be more of a "she's crying, so I need to cry" deal. At lunch, the tears seemed a bit more genuine. (Although, some of the guys were undoubtedly crying b/c it elicited much attention from the girls, I'm sure.) Then the giddiness kicked in again . . . maybe the leftover candy I gave away started to take effect. My room somehow became the (loosely controlled) R&B/hip hop dance party. Then they became bored, impatient, and started complaining about dismissal procedures, etc. Interesting cycle of emotions, I must say.
It doesn't quite feel like summer yet, since we're still working this week. Even though I'm not planning lessons or grading or supervising athletic events, I still seem to find plenty of work to do. Why is it that the work seems to expand to fill the time?
It's funny, looking back now that the dreaded 1st year is over. Yes, it was hard, and challenging, and difficult. But I'm already starting to forget the worst moments, and the bright days shine a little brighter in my memory. I guess it's somehow comparable to childbirth; if mothers only remembered the pain of labor & delivery, the human race would quickly become extinct. Still, I hope the second year is easier . . . it will be, I'm convinced!
posted by Kat at
4:54 PM
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