the descent
Two days in and what do I have to report?
Well, I'm still alive. And no class has been a complete meltdown yet. My work load is about as easy as you could ask for: the "Learning Strategies" periods I was saddled with Thursday turn out to be time for me to assist in other classes and--for now--not even that, just planning periods. I had two on Monday, but today one was turned into another 8th grade section in order to split up my big 8th grade class, which is good. I'm not sure I could've handled those 25 in a single class. As two 15ish periods it will still be a hell of a battle, but one I'm reasonably confident I can win. My two seventh-grade sections got a little bigger today, but they're both still on the small side, thank goodness.
What with schedules changing, experiencing the no-bells-no-walls thing for the first time, and standard rookie troubles, I'd say I haven't been awful. To use Ms. Monroe's metaphor ("You're going to spend the first year with the water here"), I don't feel like I'm really drowning yet. But it is dawning on me how far I am from the good ship MTC Summer Training and that I probably won't last treading water the way I am. Yes, there are new students in every period and I pretty much had to repeat yesterday. I've expected that of the first week. But I'm not doing a good job of setting the tone--work-centered class, and all that. Tomorrow, that changes! My classroom will be a factory.
Well, I'm still alive. And no class has been a complete meltdown yet. My work load is about as easy as you could ask for: the "Learning Strategies" periods I was saddled with Thursday turn out to be time for me to assist in other classes and--for now--not even that, just planning periods. I had two on Monday, but today one was turned into another 8th grade section in order to split up my big 8th grade class, which is good. I'm not sure I could've handled those 25 in a single class. As two 15ish periods it will still be a hell of a battle, but one I'm reasonably confident I can win. My two seventh-grade sections got a little bigger today, but they're both still on the small side, thank goodness.
What with schedules changing, experiencing the no-bells-no-walls thing for the first time, and standard rookie troubles, I'd say I haven't been awful. To use Ms. Monroe's metaphor ("You're going to spend the first year with the water here"), I don't feel like I'm really drowning yet. But it is dawning on me how far I am from the good ship MTC Summer Training and that I probably won't last treading water the way I am. Yes, there are new students in every period and I pretty much had to repeat yesterday. I've expected that of the first week. But I'm not doing a good job of setting the tone--work-centered class, and all that. Tomorrow, that changes! My classroom will be a factory.
posted by LWS at 7:40 PM
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