I had an amazing day. Let me back up. I had an amazing day on the heels of (another) exhausting weekend. Typically, I have been putting in 12-15 hours on the weekends preparing for the coming week. It may sound to the casual observer that I am either incredibly dedicated to my profession, or I don’t have a clue as to what I am supposed to be doing. Well, both may apply, but keep in mind that every week as I look over the curriculum and write lesson plans, it is the very first time I have seen that particular material. Every single week I start from scratch. I student taught in kindergarten and 3rd and 4th grades, so I bring very little to the table that I had previously done. Basically, I have to educate myself before I can teach my students. It just takes vast amounts of time to read through everything, decide what I want to teach, and put my own spin on how I will present it to the children. Maybe that’s a sign that I’m a dedicated teacher, or maybe it means I’m not that bright. You be the judge.
That being said, I entered this weekend riddled with questions and doubts about my performance so far, wondering if I was making preparation waaaay too complicated, and incredibly t-i-r-e-d. But things began to look up for me when my baby bro, Ron, showed up at school at the end of the day on Friday just to spend a couple of hours with me before catching a flight. I rarely get to see him (he lives in another state), so it was a real treat anyway, but getting to share my classroom and early experiences of teaching with him, and his excitement for me, were so encouraging. Plus, small town charm was at its finest that night. I had called ahead to the only restaurant in town to see what time they closed (winter hours and all). Well, they would just be tickled pink to wait for us to arrive so that we could eat at their fine establishment. Then I asked if they might have my favorite soup that night? “We’ll make some!” came the enthusiastic reply. And sure enough they did. GOTTA’ love small towns!
Saturday found me working concessions at school so that the elementary grades could earn extra money for luxuries like reading programs and copiers and things that there just isn’t extra money for usually (how many in the corporate world would spend a Saturday helping raise money for a copier for the office? Sort of puts it into perspective, huh?) But it was a good day and we did make a nice bundle of cash. Then I stayed a couple of hours after that to work on lesson plans.
Sunday I went back to school for three hours to finish lesson planning, then came home and spent another couple of hours grading papers, etc. You can imagine that by this time I’m dragging around like a Basset Hounds’ belly. I am one tired gal by Sunday night.
Today I was scheduled to attend a literacy conference in Bismarck. I was really looking forward to it. Literacy is becoming my teaching passion. I want my students to be more than just passable readers. I want them to be fluent readers that comprehend what they’re reading. Reading is so empowering. When a person struggles in that area, they will struggle in all areas. So the more I get into this teaching gig, the more I want to be a rock star reading teacher. To that end, a literacy conference seemed like something I would enjoy. And it was a good conference. Maybe not the best I’ve ever been to, but a lot of good information. The thing that got my engine going though, was the validation I felt in all the things presented today that I am already doing. It encouraged me that I am on the right track with my students. Do I have tons to learn about effective teaching practices? Oh yeah. But I have to be patient with the process. So much of where I need to go and the things I need to learn can only happen through time and experience.
I also had a good conversation with a fellow educator assuring me that my long hours, extensive lesson planning, and complete exhaustion are perfectly normal and a sign that I am doing it right. It was VERY encouraging and helpful.
I found myself driving home from the conference with a renewed energy, my mind spinning with ideas, and an eagerness to be in the classroom tomorrow. All indicators that my questions have been laid to rest, at least for now, and I am freed to pour my energies into doing what I need to do, which is teach the best way I know how.
I am so happy to have my spark back and so relieved to know that I am on the right track. And you know what? I really missed those kids today. I thought about them at various times during the day and wished I was with them. Are they under my skin or what?!
I also made a resolve to try to make a journal entry nearly everyday. Doesn’t really matter to me if anyone is interested in reading my ramblings, but it is good for me to record my thoughts and feelings. I think as I reflect later on these early entries, I’ll appreciate my progress and it will help me make smart choices for the future based on where I’ve been. So join me for the whole ride or just pop in once in awhile. Doesn’t matter to me. Just know I’ll be here sharing the highs and lows of each day.
I’ll end with this story. We just finished a unit on caring for our natural resources, and of course, recycling was a part of that discussion. As part of our exploration of that topic, I had the kids make a list of Old Things. One very honest students’ list went like this:
1. mom
2. chickens
3. Mrs. Dahl
I am looking forward to tomorrow!
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