Well, first let me say that I'm still trying to figure out how to make this look better. But, I have little patience for technology and looking through little HTML codes to find a misplaced semicolon. :-)
I have just completed my first full week as a grown-up! I have 16 beautiful students this year and I am very excited to see where we will go this year! I have quite the diverse classroom, which is not what I expected, but I am very excited about it. I have a large population of African-American students, with a little Mexican, Haitian and Singapore-i-an? mixed in. :-) I love this age because they are still so eager to learn, even if they can be attention demanders and broken people.
This past week has already been a tremendous learning experience. So, I'll just list what I've learned.
1. Be flexible has taken on new meaning in the context of teaching. My professors at Baylor really weren't kidding when they said "You need to be ready for anything; you never know when Administration will come to you at the last minute and ask you to make a big change."
2. It's easy to be flexible when you're a first year teacher.... well, at least for me. I came in with a pretty blank slate, admitting that I really don't know anything about teaching--- even with 7 semesters and one summer of preparation. So "change" didn't really feel like change because I hadn't become too attached to anything yet.
3. Transitions and pacing are still hard--- even with 2nd graders.... even after a 1 year internship.
4. My dad's money spent at Baylor was worth it. Even in the "Parent Communication Log" and lesson reflections. Turns out, they make you do those things as a paid teacher too! ;-)
Two statements that have really impacted my teaching this first week:
~"When they stand at the threshold of that door, and you have that moment, where in your heart you say, 'If you walk through that door, I'll give my life for you....'" --Carl Gulley at Lifegroup leader training Spring 2010
~"It's never been about me anyway." -- A missionary as quoted by Carl Gulley
