Whew! Survived my first day of school for my third year of teaching! I'm knocking on wood and crossing my fingers that this feeling could last for the year, but so far, my new freshmen classes have been a dream. My trouble period right now is actually my first period, since they don't want to talk at all. I also have some trouble kids here and there, but definitely not as bad as last year's students. Even my journalism students are awesome, too, since most of them are seniors and the cream of the crop of the senior class.
In any case, I'm trying to be realistic and realize that my numbers will probably change somewhere down the line (actually, they are already shifting due to master schedule changes again...), BUT I'm going to ride out this high for as long as I can. I can't help but still feel the shame and anxiety about the reading test scores that came in for my freshmen last year...Then, I think of Conan O'Brien's 2011 commencement speech to Dartmouth's graduating class and try to believe that maybe this is the year that I'll get it--that after not "getting what I want," I can evolve and become more creative and less fearful of not being perfect. Thanks, Conan O'Brien, for an enlightening and inspirational message that still influences me after almost 5 years. Here's hoping that the rest of the week will fly yet continue to be productive and enjoyable for me and my students!
In any case, I'm trying to be realistic and realize that my numbers will probably change somewhere down the line (actually, they are already shifting due to master schedule changes again...), BUT I'm going to ride out this high for as long as I can. I can't help but still feel the shame and anxiety about the reading test scores that came in for my freshmen last year...Then, I think of Conan O'Brien's 2011 commencement speech to Dartmouth's graduating class and try to believe that maybe this is the year that I'll get it--that after not "getting what I want," I can evolve and become more creative and less fearful of not being perfect. Thanks, Conan O'Brien, for an enlightening and inspirational message that still influences me after almost 5 years. Here's hoping that the rest of the week will fly yet continue to be productive and enjoyable for me and my students!