I think back to when I was an elementary school student and it always seemed as if the year was eons long. Now that I'm a "grown-up" (a term that I use loosely-mostly because I feel that it is rigid and boring) I feel that time passes far too quickly.
September marked the start of my first year of teaching where I purchased LOTS of things and set up my classroom. Today I tore all of that down and put it all into the same boxes that I felt like they just came out of. It was tough to do, mostly because I could hardly grasp how fast this year came and went.
Here are some things I learned through this far too short of a year:
1. This really is what I want to do with the rest of my working life (I hit that awkward post-grad phase where I thought "wow! I just spent a lot of money on a degree, what if I don't like it?" Fortunately for me, I found that it's a really swell thing to do everyday.
2. Send what you can to print shop because you probably will run out of copies. At which point you may need to talk one of your really amazing team teachers into letting you "borrow" some.
3. Flexibility is a must.
4. Think on your feet.
5. Laugh, a lot.
6. Enjoy them, save the cute notes, funny pictures, because some days when you feel overwhelmed with grading, or packing or whatever, you will look at them and laugh, smile or cry.
7. Set the bar high.
8. Ask your students about their events (boy scouts, swimming, soccer, running, etc). Try to attend them.
9. Take care of yourself, go to the gym (or not, like I did...)
10. Don't be afraid to ask questions. I asked a lot, and learned a lot from them.
11. Welcome lent items (but maybe make a list so you remember who to return them to).
12. Show your students you care, they care too.
13. Reflect, think about what you can do better next time, next minute, next day, next class, etc.
Okay, so I have a lot more, but this is all I want to share for now.
Keep it real.
