Keeping up!

This marks the third week of my full-time teaching. So far it has been very exhausting, scary, nerve-wracking, and fun all at the same time. I have found myself being more tired than usual because I get less sleep than I should since I’m planning for all 5 classes and trying to keep up with students’ grades and new assignments. I’ve learned that it is really hard to keep up with 120 students on a daily basis! I have also been scared throughout my teaching because I’ve been very afraid of messing up! However, my mentor teacher assures me that I’m doing okay. Teaching is also nerve-wracking because when I put a lot of effort into a lesson, I suppose I expect the same from my students. However, this isn’t always the case and I find myself wanting to pull my hair out sometimes. Teaching these past 3 weeks has certainly been fun as well. I’ve had fun getting to know the students, teaching some great material, and letting them get to know me. Teaching has made me feel purposeful.

Keeping up with so many students is the thing I find most difficult. When students are absent, it is so hard to track them down to make up work. It is also hard to remember what we did and didn’t do in class on any particular day when students ask me for their work. It is so hard to remember all of their names from class to class and sometimes I find myself calling students’ names from 1^st period during 3^rd period. I can say, however, that all of this chaos is slowly starting to make sense to me. I’m finding myself becoming more organized and more experienced. I love that I’ve chosen to teach; now I simply have to learn the ropes, which is certainly not an easy task!