First Week of Middle School

January 26, 2019

The night before I started my assignment I struggled to keep my head together.  I’ve know that this day is coming for months, yet its arrival was unnerving.  I had sudden fears of what the next day would bring- new faces, new experiences, new everything.  I got up in the morning (with a welcome two hour delay) and fortified myself with Starbucks. I could do this… maybe.

The rest of the days moved forward without as much anxiety.  I am now four days in and know eighty to eighty-five percent of the students’ names.  I should clarify that I know these names if they are in class and sitting in the correct seat.  On Thursday and Friday the students moved around for book groups and I quizzed myself with a bit lower accuracy.  I’m getting there though. By the end of next week, I should be good to go. At least that’s the plan.

One of the things I said before moving into this experience was that in my daily work with kids, my day doesn’t change much between first and fifth grade.  Kids are kids and get distracted and need reminders and generally want consistency in their lives. Yes, the smells are different. The attitudes are different as well. Very few older kids voluntarily give hugs every day to a teacher, and that is how it should be. However, kids are kids; the needs are the same. After a week with eighth graders, I still hold this belief.  Example: Tuesday there was a two hour delay. Multiple students asked “What time is lunch?” Another example: Thursday was a very rainy day. It was raining when the students arrived. You could hear the rain on the roof.  Our classroom has two windows on different walls. During the first two class periods, I heard at least four different students ask “Wait, is it raining?” And I can’t count how many students have raised their hand after a question has been asked only to say “Well it has nothing to do with what we are talking about, but can I get a drink of water (or go to the bathroom).”  Again, kids are kids.

Last Sunday there was a full lunar eclipse.  It was freezing outside, but I kept returning to my deck with my camera to try to get a shot of the beauty in the sky.  This is what I return to when I’m doubting myself… find the beauty and keep looking up.

2 thoughts on “First Week of Middle School”

  1. Find the beauty and keep looking up. I love that mindset!
    I am super excited that you are blogging about your learning, adventures, challenges, growth…clicking on the link in your tweet made my day!

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