Ah, fall. The air takes a crisp chill, the leaves start to change, pumpkins and cornstalks show up everywhere, local breweries make a "harvest" or "Octoberfest" beer (oh, god, the spiced beer...), football gives blockheads something to enjoy, and schoolkids return to their studies.
Me, I've just started upon my journey into teaching. I've signed on to be a substitute in a small, rather impoverished community in central New Hampshire. My first day last week I took over for an 8th grade science teacher. We all remember how silly (or other, stronger words) we were at age 14. So that was interesting.
This morning, I started an assignment to take over a 6th grade reading class for at least 2 weeks while the permanent teacher is on medical leave. I have no experience teaching below 10th grade, and while I am certified as a teacher in MA, it's in the subject of History. I have a Bachelors and half of a Masters degree in History.
What I don't know is how to teach kids how to read. And many of them need help with exactly that. Compounding the problem is that I am learning how to manage a classroom of 12-year-olds as I go. I have no training and no experience in this area. I'm learning discipline, routine, and classroom control by trial and error. It's not easy.
But while it's tiring, frustrating, and sometimes downright unnverving, I am trying to maintain a positive outlook. I am trying to see this experience as a chance to learn, to gain valuable knowledge and experience; a resume-builder for when I can find my ideal job teaching high-schoolers history. Sometimes to get to our ideal position, we have to work our way up -- and put up with things we would rather not. Or at least that's how I'm choosing to view this.
In the meantime, if anyone has any advice, suggestions, help, or just plain encouragement, it would be greatly appreciated.
Note: I promise this won't turn into a teacher's blog, posting all my frustrations and joys of dealing with little bastard adolescents. I'll hopefully return soon to my somewhat humorous, trivial observations and reflections on life.
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4 comments:
Chandler is in 6th grade and that is a calling. That age is so hard, right in the middle of puberty. Pushing the limits of rebellion. Oh and the bullying, that begins to get really mean. I do not envy you. I wish I had advice, I'm barely surviving my one.
Hang in there. I know I only have one year under my belt, but I'll say this....it will get better. That doesn't mean that there won't be bad days, but teaching is all trial and error. There's nothing that can prepare you for teaching except for throwing you in head first and hoping you can swim. It's exhausting, painful, and utterly annoying some days, but the good days always make up for it!
Wow.
Bold.
Good attitude. You're right; if you look at this the right way, you will get some good out of it.
I have confidence in you.
You just have to show those kids who is boss.
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