Well, the first quarter is over and I can't believe how it has flown by. I get a little breather now... more on that later. Some thoughts from the first 9 weeks of school:
- Working carefully must come LATE in a person's development. I must have commented "needs to work more carefully" on at least 3/4ths of my students' report cards. One student got 50% of his answers wrong because he didn't fill in his scan tron correctly on his quarterly math test; after I had him take it over, he got a 94. Smart kid... but he also spelled his name wrong on the test. *sigh*
- Grades are not a reflection of how smart a child is. They are a reflection of responsibility, effort, attentiveness, AND intelligence. Probably a few more things too.
- As much as I worry about not being a good teacher because I think I'm not reaching my kids well, success stories help lift me up. One child in particular I have seen make strides right before my eyes, and she will be one of only a handful of 5th graders that made honor roll this quarter. This will be her first time... and she was SOOOOO excited when I told her!
- I once said that if I could make a difference in just one child's life, this career change would be worth it. As teachers, I think we want to be all things to all our kids, and it can get overwhelming when we put so much on our own shoulders. Thinking about this though, making a difference comes in many forms and the results of what we do may not be seen for years. Watching a child succeed in school is tangible right now... but that doesn't mean I'm not reaching the kids I don't see making huge strides academically.
- A teacher I interned with last year once said "this is the hardest job you will ever love." I'll tell that to another soon-to-be teacher someday. Today, I begin my much needed rest before 2nd quarter begins...
...which is one of the greatest benefits of working a year-long school calendar. Yes, I'm off while the other schools are in session because my breaks are split up more evenly. Instead of having a long summer break, I get breaks between each quarter. I can't imagine wrapping up the first quarter with parent teacher conferences, report cards, quarterly testing, and working the whole weekend to get it all done... then having to come back the following Monday to begin another 9 week race. Well, I CAN imagine it since that's what I would be doing if I wasn't on a modified calendar. But I'm thankful that I get a break to recuperate. I'm going to play golf, watch football, rock climb, pay attention to my girlfriend, and take a trip to California to hang with my old roommate. It's going to be glorious!!!
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