Stressful September...

Another school year has began and gotten into full swing.  It is a very exciting time of year for a teacher.  A new class of little ones to have another year of fun with.  It's very much like a new friendship.  You are getting to know each other and the best way to communicate in order to have the best time together.  Although August is when a teacher traditionally first meets her/his new class, September is when you REALLY meet your new class.  The honeymoon period is over, and now it is time to really learn about each other.  

I always read books to my class.  I like to keep a theme going on the types of picture books I read.  You can always find me reading a chapter book like Junie B. Jones to my class, but I usually have a display of picture books that are carrying a common theme.  During our beginning weeks of school and running through the first part of September, I focus on good behavior and starting school themed picture books.  Last year I bought a new book to add to this collection.  This is the first year I have read it to my class.  The name of the book is This Is The Teacher.  It is one of those books that builds on the previous page kind of like the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas.  So as I keep reading, the list keeps getting bigger and bigger.  In this case, the list is of things that the teacher sees and deals with at school in a given day.  It starts out so optimistic and happy.  Here is the first picture in the book.

Look at her - she is so happy and excited to start the day.  For those of you who aren't teachers, we all start out this way pretty much every day.  I love this about my job.  Every day is a new beginning.  I tell my kids this all the time - each day is a new start.  We all make mistakes, and have bad days- tomorrow we start over again.  And honestly with First Graders, it REALLY is always like this.  We could have a terrible day and all leave upset and mad, and when those kids come back through my door they are giving me hugs and smiles and happy to be back.  This is a wonderful thing about little kids.  No grudges.

Another thing I like about this book is all the crazy things it talks about a teacher dealing with in a day.  It mentions such things as the water fountain leaking and causing some kind hallway mayhem, to some kid bringing a pet snake that gets loose in the cafeteria.  Some of you may think that sounds a little out there....teachers know this is a viable possibility on any given day, and we take that chance when we enter the door every day.  I'm sure not all of you have first aid kits in your desk drawer.  I do.  I have band aids big enough to cover an adult knee.  We have to be ready for anything.  

Of course the book mentions all the cautions from the classroom itself as well.  Honestly September is a time when we all are just trying to learn how to live together in one room all day every day for entire year.  There are 23 of us in my room right now including me.  That's 23 people that stay in one room together for the entire day.  I'm not going to lie, some days it is a challenge.  There are so many things that can be distracting to the kids, and myself to keep us from our goal of learning together for 180 days.  September is the time when we learn from each other, how can we do this best?  What ways will we learn the best?  What should I say to grab your attention the most?  Does this class learn better from me acting like a fool some days to stress a point or lesson topic?  Should I plan experiments with manipulatives they can hold...or just see?  This is our time of discovery within ourselves.  Again, I won't lie to you, there are days I go home needing a nap badly.  But there are also days when I discover the right thing to say or do that makes those eyes light up and I know I found it.  September helps me get to more of those days.  It will take a bit of work, but we get there.  Even if some days I go home at 3:30........

....it's SO worth it!!!!