I (somehow) survived!!

So it's almost 10pm, and I have successfully completed my first REAL day of teaching!!!

It went better than I had hoped. Here are some of the highlights:

-A lot of the parents brought their students in, so I met many families. They all seemed supported and interested in their children.

-I got the class RIGHT to work, no wasted time! (Thank you, Harry K. Wong!!) They worked for a solid half hour before I stopped it to move on. It was beautiful.

-I established procedures for lining up, walking in the halls, and for quieting the class in a matter of seconds. All worked well, and we'll continue to rehearse them all year.

-Everyone, so far, seems relatively involved. I need to keep up the level of participation that I had today, and I'll be set!


Only a few hitches in my day:

-the kids were a WEE bit hyper after lunch, so I had to continuously use the quieting technique (where I press a bell in the room). This was a bit annoying, so I will handle it differently tomorrow.

-as I was dismissing the class, I learned (once almost everyone had left) that I am to walk the class to the bus stop after school. Um, they're 4th and 5th graders- I think they can handle it. Also, I am to pick them up every day before school starts. Seems a bit strange, but I suppose I'll make it work.

-had a few parents express concerns that their children (esp. 5th graders) are in a multi-age room. I had to reassure them that this was unavoidable, that I completely understand where they're coming from, and that I will make sure that their children will be ready for 6th grade at the end of the year. Wowzas.


Also, I had a few bouts of self-doubt again. Can I do it? Do I even want to do it? Should I join the Peace Corps, be a school counselor, or get an office job? I just don't know. This is a LOT of work... we'll find out if I think it's worth it or not.

That's all for now... trying to relax a little before bed!!! Good night!