The First Day....

The first day of the 2009 - 2010 school year has come and gone. As first days go, it wasn't the worst. I hate first days. I can remember lots of first days of school. I remember the first day I taught in Childress. I started in the middle of October here. I came up and saw my classroom on Saturday afternoon and started teaching on Monday morning. I wouldn't recommend that. I remember the kids coming in and I started freaking out. But I was much younger and much more inexperienced then. I remember the first day I taught the severely and profoundly handicapped. The little boy came in and looked at me and started crying. I looked at him and started crying. It did get better. Somehow everything is always "pretend" the first day. Schedules are never the way they will be. You have to go over all the rules and everything the first day. Ciara said, "We didn't even get time to play on the playground. They just kept going over the rules. We are in 3rd grade. We know the rules." I understand the way she feels. I teach 3rd and 4th grade resource classes. So until all my students show up, there is no reason to start. I will just have to do it again. I really started envying my friend who teaches Jr. High. They get a schedule and start going to class from the beginning. In elemetary, we start classes late, keep the kids in their homerooms all morning, I have had some who wanted to keep the kids the first week. ARGH!!! I just want to get going. Once we get into our lessons, the time passes much faster, and there is always something for them to do.

OK, enough of my belly aching (although a kid did have a belly ache and throw up when he left my room today!!) Here is what Ciara said about 3rd grade. She said her teacher was nice, but screamed at one boy who should already be in the 4th grade. (I guess we all know why, now!!) I was not supposed to walk her to class, because she knew where to go. I followed. I could take a picture of her if I "just had to." Well, of course, I did. I only got the one. She picked her out her clothes herself when we went clothes shopping last weekend. She is so beautiful and grown up. I brought my lunch and will have lunch at the same time she does, so we ate together in the cafeteria. I don't think she was all that excited to have me there. It probably won't happen again, though.

Well, school is here, for better, or for worse. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.