After the shortest month of August I can ever remember, school started up yesterday. I wish I could explain the anxiety and anticipation I was feeling Wednesday night and Thursday morning, but I don't think it's possible. Let me just say this: imagine every knot you have felt in your stomach, every important job interview you have had, and every twist and lurch in your stomach as you entered the world's wildest roller coaster. Times that by ten and you come close to what I was feeling.
I have never put my life so wholly into something before. It finally feels good to see it start paying off. Let me just say, even after two days it has started paying off. I have already received four thank-you/love notes from students and numerous small gifts and hugs from them as well.
It hasn't come easy. That's for sure. Before school even started I had a couple emotional breakdowns over silly things as some of my accumulation of anxiety and stress revealed itself.
No sane person breaks out in tears because they forget about cleaning checks or because their car overheats for the first time.
One of the hardest parts about the first day of school is most definitely back-to-school night. I had numerous parents enter my classroom and give me 'the look', the look that means they think I am way too young to be teaching their child and they want to know why their child got stuck with the teacher that doesn't even look old enough to be done with high school. For most interns this isn't a problem because they are married and they have the pleasure of sticking a Mrs. before their name. For Lauren and I (the other 2nd grade intern) we are stuck with the youthful Miss in front of our name leading parents to believe that we aren't old enough or experienced enough to be their child's teacher. Lucky us. (I had some students ask me today if I was in high school or college. I asked them why they thought that and they said it was because I wasn't married. They said if I was done with college then I should be married and have kids. I told them my mom sometimes tells me the same thing).
Having said that I must say that I love the parent community of Heber City! ALL of the parents are involved in their child's education. They all want to help out in any way possible and they want to help you help their child. Not in a pushy, hovering way but in a "let's work together to help Johnny succeed" kind of way. It's soooooo helpful and encouraging. I have a great group of kids and an even better group of parents.
Halfway through the first day of school, I finished reading a story to my class and looked around the room for their teacher to let her take over teaching her class. Then I realized I was the teacher. A little frightening and intimidating? Yes. But do you know what brought me back to reality? 22 little faces staring at me like I held all the answers to the universe.
Note to self: Sometimes hot is too hot. Our school doesn't have an efficient A/C. By 10:00 a.m. we are all sweating even with the fan on. By 3:20, no one has any energy to move. I never thought I'd say this but autumn, please come soon!!!
Many people have asked my why I am working in Heber and still living in Provo. Long commute they say, scary winter driving they say, but I say THERAPY. Driving through Provo Canyon is therapeutic and it's only going to get better as the fall comes and brings it's blankets of red, orange, and yellow. All summer while driving up, Lauren and I have discussed stopping to smell the daisies. K, really it's the wild sunflowers (or whatever they're called) and we don't want to smell them, just take pictures with them. So we decided our first day of school was the perfect day to do so.
I have never put my life so wholly into something before. It finally feels good to see it start paying off. Let me just say, even after two days it has started paying off. I have already received four thank-you/love notes from students and numerous small gifts and hugs from them as well.
It hasn't come easy. That's for sure. Before school even started I had a couple emotional breakdowns over silly things as some of my accumulation of anxiety and stress revealed itself.
No sane person breaks out in tears because they forget about cleaning checks or because their car overheats for the first time.
One of the hardest parts about the first day of school is most definitely back-to-school night. I had numerous parents enter my classroom and give me 'the look', the look that means they think I am way too young to be teaching their child and they want to know why their child got stuck with the teacher that doesn't even look old enough to be done with high school. For most interns this isn't a problem because they are married and they have the pleasure of sticking a Mrs. before their name. For Lauren and I (the other 2nd grade intern) we are stuck with the youthful Miss in front of our name leading parents to believe that we aren't old enough or experienced enough to be their child's teacher. Lucky us. (I had some students ask me today if I was in high school or college. I asked them why they thought that and they said it was because I wasn't married. They said if I was done with college then I should be married and have kids. I told them my mom sometimes tells me the same thing).
Having said that I must say that I love the parent community of Heber City! ALL of the parents are involved in their child's education. They all want to help out in any way possible and they want to help you help their child. Not in a pushy, hovering way but in a "let's work together to help Johnny succeed" kind of way. It's soooooo helpful and encouraging. I have a great group of kids and an even better group of parents.
Halfway through the first day of school, I finished reading a story to my class and looked around the room for their teacher to let her take over teaching her class. Then I realized I was the teacher. A little frightening and intimidating? Yes. But do you know what brought me back to reality? 22 little faces staring at me like I held all the answers to the universe.
Note to self: Sometimes hot is too hot. Our school doesn't have an efficient A/C. By 10:00 a.m. we are all sweating even with the fan on. By 3:20, no one has any energy to move. I never thought I'd say this but autumn, please come soon!!!
Many people have asked my why I am working in Heber and still living in Provo. Long commute they say, scary winter driving they say, but I say THERAPY. Driving through Provo Canyon is therapeutic and it's only going to get better as the fall comes and brings it's blankets of red, orange, and yellow. All summer while driving up, Lauren and I have discussed stopping to smell the daisies. K, really it's the wild sunflowers (or whatever they're called) and we don't want to smell them, just take pictures with them. So we decided our first day of school was the perfect day to do so.
My Classroom:
It doesn't look like I did much, but this, my friends, is three weeks worth of spending all day decorating, laminating, cutting, stapling, designing and everything else in between.
Morning Calendar
Library
Desks
Star Student Board/My Desk
Birthdays/Job Chart
