This past week was the first full week of the 2012-2013 school year...my first full week as a 4th and 5th grade special-education teacher to 9 students with IEPs.
Yes, you read that right, only 9. Compared to 12 students that I had last year, those 3-less kids are WONDERFUL. I feel that the nine can really get more of what they need from me because they are only nine.
...and I can honestly say, that I love 'em. What a group!
Can I honestly say I love teaching? No. Not yet. Maybe never...but I am going to give it my best this year. I feel like I owe it to myself to.
As far as how I handled this past week, and how I felt, some days were better than others. I started every day except Wednesday pretty confident in what I wanted to get done. The loss of my Sunday to teacher work was the sacrifice I had to make to allow for that to happen.
I started this year by avoiding a lot of rookie mistakes that I made last year. I'm more organized, with bins and crates and sectioned folders for everything. I have had my Judy Moody read aloud all prepped and filling the last period of everyday (big time saver).
September -- I realized this year -- is for routines. Especially for kids with focusing issues (which most of my kids have). I set aside time to practice what we do each moring, and after lunch each day, and right before we leave school. It's helped them; it's helped me.
I've realized that IT doesn't get better, YOU get better.
The Board of Education will always SUCK. Bottom line. Look at Chicago this past week. The Board of Ed doesn't know what goes on in classrooms, what it's like for teachers, because they're not teachers. We teachers need to acknowledge the system sucks, and get better at working around it.
I hope you follow along on my 2nd-year teaching journey.
I'm sure my unfiltered feelings about it will make their way here these next 10 months.
Actually, I'm positive.
;)
Have a Happy Saturday!
It's absolutely gorgeous here in NYC today.
I shall be celebrating it.
