The First Week of the Second Year

Well.... The first week of my second year of teaching has come and gone!  I was so excited when the first day finally arrived!  But I must say, it went by in a blur.  I remember welcoming all my classes, passing out books, going over procedures and rules...but beyond that, it was like your wedding day that you plan so long for and then it is over and you hardly remember what happened.  I know you cannot really compare your wedding day to the first day of school, but it did move too quickly to be clearly perceived!

What I do know is this......I was born to teach.  This is my true calling.  I LOVE IT!  Teaching to me is like having a job that is not really a job at all. It is fun!  Though there is stress, of course, at the end of the day, I am happily tired but ready for the next day.  I especially love teaching sixth grade.  This year I got new sixth graders.  My other classes are repeats because I teach in a small private school and teach grades 6 through 10 so I basically have the same students who have graduated into the next grade.  I did have a few new students in my other classes, but for the most part, I know all the students already and it was more like reuniting after a long break (summer was 3 1/2 months long this year).

So....back to the sixth grade.  I have 11 students in my World History Class.  They are all just precious!  The thing I like the most about 6th grade is that they are still eager to learn and are usually very attentive.  They are also still a little needy, even the boys, and since I am a consumate mother, as well as a teacher, this suits me just fine.  I have to be careful to separate the two, but I am a nurturing person by nature, so I am glad I can still nurture and teach.  It makes me miss my own children a bit less. And after all, teaching is nurturing in a different way.

On the first day, in marched my sixth graders, one at a time.  There are 5 boys and 6 girls.  I had my seating chart all ready, kind of randomly sitting them around the room.  Then I noticed that there were 3 very tiny girls that I needed to sit up front.  They are so small that their feet don't even touch the floor when they sit at their desks!  Picture my heart melting as I look at these precious children  (I know I could never teach elementary school because all I would want to do would be play with the kids and read them stories, and sing with them and hug them all to death!).  The girls' soft little voices go along with their tiny statures as well.  BUT...I could not underestimate their intelligence just because they were small.  And, believe me, these girls are bright.  The other three girls are taller and look older than their little peers, but they are just as precious and just as bright.  Thus, I have my girl brigade figured out so far.  The boys are all as different as can be, some short, some taller, some quiet, some not so quiet, but they are AWESOME!  They are also bright and are little zealots when it comes to learning.  They talk among themselves a little more than the girls, and I have had to remind them to pay attention a few times, but for the most part, so far, they are compliant with all the classroom rules and procedures.  My boy brigade may be a little harder to tame, but I think I have them figured out as well.  It is going to be a wonderful year with this class, I just know it. 

The seventh grade consists of only five students.  Four boys and one girl.  Two students from last year have left for public school and I was disappointed and I will truly miss them, but these five are all students I had last year.  This year we will be studying Geography.  So far, these students are still anxious learners and since they were one of my favorite classes last year (sixth graders....go figure!), I think we are going to have a good year.  They are a very cohesive class and work well together.  I look forward to doing many fun projects with them and teaching them all about the world and its cultures.

The eighth grade is the largest class I have, with 19 students.  8 girls and 11 boys.  It seems like a small amount, but when you get that many hormonal teens in a small classroom, and most of them boys, it can be overwhelming at times.  Last year was a challenge, at best, but this year they seem more mature.   Since I love American History so much, and this is their subject, I think I can engage them in some serious and interesting learning this year.  My biggest surprise was the physical changes in them. So many of the boys were taller and their voices had dropped an octave or two since last May.  Some of my smallest boy students have now filled out and grown taller and their faces are taking on the look of what they will become in a few years.   The girls are beginning to grow taller as well and their once baby faces are taking on the look of beauty that will be theirs soon.  It is amazing to see them change so much!  I love all of these kids because their personalities are so random.  They always seem happy and they love to talk.  I have to help them channel their energies in class, which is more often than not hard to do, but this entire class is bright, and I tell them that they will someday give the world huge contributions.  I hope they take me seriously!

Ninth grade is my old favorite eighth grade class.  There are 11 students... 5 girls and 6 boys.  There are three new students in this class and it is a little cramped, but once I get used to the extra number, I think it is going to be a wonderful year.  Last year this class and I bonded so well that they were like a little family to me.  The boys and girls were even in number and in intelligence.  We had some great discussions and they did some awesome projects pertaining to American History.  They all got A's every term and they were just my pride and joy class.   This year the challenge is World History from the Byzatine Empire to who knows where we will end up!  I started with teaching about Rome for review and to build on the fact that the Byzantines based most of their world on what the Roman Empire had done.   So far, to my amazement, the kids are loving it.  They told me they love World History, which makes my life with them easier, because it is not my favorite, and I was afraid I may not be able to make it as engaging and as challenging for them as I would like it to be.  They need stimulation because most of them are such deep thinkers, so I feel better knowing that they at least like the subject.  I look forward to another year with these kids.

The jury is still out on tenth grade, I am afraid.  There are 5 students....4 boys and 1 girl.  American History from the Civil War to present day.  Two of these students are serious learners and want to succeed.  Two are still a bit immature for this age and I am not sure about their true desire for learning. The last one fluctuates between being amazing with learning to daydreaming and then asking totally irrelevant questions.  This student is incredibly bright but not focused.  I have my work cut out for me with this class, but I am determined to figure out a way to make them all love the subject  and become a cohesive and high achieving class.  I like all of them personally, but I am not sure how to teach them in a way that will be beneficial to all.  Last year I only had 2 students in this grade and they were both so competetive and eager to learn that I breezed through the year with them as if it were the 3 of us just hanging out talking about American History and the events of the current world every day.  I already miss them so much this year!

I must admit, Middle School is more my forte than any other area. 

When all is said and done, I can say that the first week of the second year went well.  By Friday, I came away exhausted and a little overwhelmed, but happy for the most part.  I have come to realize this year that teaching five different subjects to five different grades is not as easy as it seemed to be last year.  Perhaps my age is catching up with me.  BUT I am a fighter and a surviver..... I will succeed with all of these amazing kids and I know they will do their part to help me! 

Happy Tales!