Tonight's Poet Corner: Introspection
Phew. Long week. Some behavioral issues in one of my classes, but mostly chatting - nothing major. I've managed to have my students read their first official texts within two and a half weeks, though that's in part due to the 4x4 block putting everything into double time. I've been grading efficiently, updating whiteboards efficiently, drawing up assignments efficiently (thanks mostly to colleagues). In short, I feel very successful as a teacher.
My worry, of course, is that not everyone sees me as a successful teacher. I've already made a few mistakes - not doing signing out properly with borrowed books, missing a meeting, accidentally editing shared documents. Thanks to last year, I'm on the upswing of my good ol' trauma pendulum; I'm back to being hypervigilant of everything I do, from what I say to how loud I am to what decisions I make for the students to every little slip-up and error. It's exhausting. I'd like some balance, thank you very much.
But I'm getting there. And as part of that recovery process, tonight I went to a football game at the high school I formerly worked at.
I have to admit, I was really nervous. However, it was a fun and exciting night. I got to reunite and catch up with so many of my prior colleagues, and every interaction I had with former students of mine was overwhelmingly positive. Of course, due to learning so many new names, I had to jog my memory for a few of them (Sam, Kya, Arthur, Victor, Natty, Aiden, Richard, Reid, Ava, Allie, Jett, Gia...list goes on). While I did repeat myself a lot, I appreciated being able to update everyone on my latest teaching gig, and the main message I sent was this: I love it.
I love my new school. I love its beautiful campus, its diverse and energetic student body, its supportive and productive staff, its admin team. No school is perfect (I need an AC unit for my classroom; it was like a sauna today in this heat pop we're having), but this one makes me feel comfortable, safe, and at home. And I hope I can convey that feeling, above all else, to those around me.
Still, though - I miss the people at my previous school. At least I'm local and can go to more games and performance events!
Well, tomorrow's my wife's ten year high school reunion. Time to put on the new black suit and have a good time.
Have a great night and a great weekend, everyone.
My worry, of course, is that not everyone sees me as a successful teacher. I've already made a few mistakes - not doing signing out properly with borrowed books, missing a meeting, accidentally editing shared documents. Thanks to last year, I'm on the upswing of my good ol' trauma pendulum; I'm back to being hypervigilant of everything I do, from what I say to how loud I am to what decisions I make for the students to every little slip-up and error. It's exhausting. I'd like some balance, thank you very much.
But I'm getting there. And as part of that recovery process, tonight I went to a football game at the high school I formerly worked at.
I have to admit, I was really nervous. However, it was a fun and exciting night. I got to reunite and catch up with so many of my prior colleagues, and every interaction I had with former students of mine was overwhelmingly positive. Of course, due to learning so many new names, I had to jog my memory for a few of them (Sam, Kya, Arthur, Victor, Natty, Aiden, Richard, Reid, Ava, Allie, Jett, Gia...list goes on). While I did repeat myself a lot, I appreciated being able to update everyone on my latest teaching gig, and the main message I sent was this: I love it.
I love my new school. I love its beautiful campus, its diverse and energetic student body, its supportive and productive staff, its admin team. No school is perfect (I need an AC unit for my classroom; it was like a sauna today in this heat pop we're having), but this one makes me feel comfortable, safe, and at home. And I hope I can convey that feeling, above all else, to those around me.
Still, though - I miss the people at my previous school. At least I'm local and can go to more games and performance events!
Well, tomorrow's my wife's ten year high school reunion. Time to put on the new black suit and have a good time.
Have a great night and a great weekend, everyone.
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