First two days with students

 I've started full-time teaching. It's been my dream for years. Now I'm living my dream.

 

 

I was assigned to co-teach the course called Earth and Space Science. I'm paired with Ms. E (not her real name) who has taught this course for several years. She has a lot of background in the subject, and she's a good teacher with good classroom management. I'm going to learn a lot from her.

Most students are in 10th grade. Several are in 9th grade because they took Biology (the prerequisite) in 8th grade. We have a few 11th and 12th graders who need to take the course over again.

The room is overcrowded for one period. We teach the course for five periods throughout the day. On Thursday, it felt as if the room could boil over from all these anxious kids herded into such a small space. We brought extra chairs into the room. And even at that, not all of the registered students showed up. We made the most of it, but when the day was over, I was a bit shaken up. We are told things will improve when they re-balance the classes or adjust the schedules for many students. It was a triumph to get through that period with no one getting hurt.

As will surely happen, some kids are rambunctious, some are funny, some are cute, some are quiet, and some are terrified. Some are way behind in their reading and writing skills, and some are brilliantly bursting with ideas and words. And all of them are beautiful.

On Friday, fewer of the 43 students for that crowded period showed up. That helped a lot. We actually got a bit of work done.

I'm not scared, and I am heartened. I'm already in love with the 146 students we have.

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