Reflections of a First Year Teacher

Spring. Break. It doesn't get much better than this. Even though our Spring Break is a week later than most schools, and it was MUCH overdue, there is definitely at least one positive of waiting this long: when we get back to school, it will already be MAY! Only one week left until standardized testing, then a whirlwind (and sure to be chaotic, painful, and annoying) month of reteaching, retesting, and finding ways to keep students occupied until the glorious, joyful, long-awaited 3:00 bell on June 8th.

I'm home for the week, and have found this week to be the most enjoyable yet. I'm thinking that Sunday night/Monday morning will consequently be the toughest yet. But only 6 weeks to go, and then 3 months of freedom. I'm already gearing up for the break by buying clothes I can't wear to school (shorts!) and books that I will finally have time to read for the pure sake of enjoyment.

One damper to Spring Break is my final round of ECU assignments (to complete my coursework for my teaching license). I did, however, just finish my first of 3 assignments: my reflection on my first year of teaching. The limit was 1-2 pages, and I've never been good at sticking to limits (I may or may not have trickled over a little onto the third page AND changed the margins to make it appear shorter). But let me assure you, there is absolutely no way I can adequately assess my first year in just 2 pages. I did my best, though, and if you would like to read, you can find it here.

I have officially decided that middle schoolers need recess. And middle school teachers need middle schoolers to have recess. Let me explain.

Today, as a reward for students who have not been written up and have no classroom infractions, the 7th grade had free time outside after lunch. It is very telling of our school that we have to make such a big deal for students who don't have referrals. We had somewherebetween 80 and 100 students outside today, with only me and one other teacher supervising, while the rest of the 7th grade was inside doingbookwork. I was nervous at first, knowing that that teacher to student ratio would be about 40 to 1, but it ended up being the perfect way to end the day. It was fun to get to "hang out" with my kids in a more informal setting, and it was also nice to sit in the sun on such a beautiful day. I had a student take my FlipCamera around to capture the madness (dodgeball, kickball, and a lot of sitting by the girls), but it seems as though she has never used a camera before and most of the videos look like she's riding a rollercoaster. The video below is the one that her friend took--random, but at least you won't get motion-sick watching it.

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It's hard to believe the year is winding down. Only one more week until Spring Break, then only one more week of review before the big standardized tests. I have a feeling that before I know it, I'll be packing up my classroom and heading out for the summer. I can guarantee you I will not be complaining. Although I will be sad to see some of my "babies" leave me to go on to 8th grade, and even more sad when I find out that some of the students I was ready to get rid of the most have failed 7th grade and will be right back in my classroom next year, I am so ready to start over. I have learned a TON this year, both from my mistakes and from the advice and experience of others, and I can't wait to start fresh with all of my new knowledge and resources next year.