Rewards and feelings of failure

I think the rest of my weeks at school are going to be long. Some = REAL long.

I taught in 2 of my classes today for the first time, back to back. I was scrambling at lunch to make sure I had enough information to get through the classes, and my afternoon class was definitely not in the mood to sit and play the "quiet" game. And then this was followed by volleyball after school, so by the time I got to sit down, it was nearly 6:00. And I didn't get a thing done after that, minus the enjoyment of some CSI and brown, hoppy-flavoured soda.

The classes that I'm teaching can be really rewarding. There are a lot of really pleasant, fun kids who seem like they want to be there and are actually putting in some effort. It's not even very exhausting being in front of them. They had an assignment to do some 1940's style radio plays of their own (after reading one in class), and did a really good job on them for the most part. Very rewarding.

Likewise, my volleyball guys are really coming around. They're working harder, their attitudes are better, and it's really nice to see the guys smiling in practice that isn't always easy or fun. Also rewarding.

Sometimes this isn't always the case. Sometimes students will try to talk through you and over you and behind you, which is uber frustrating. Punishments may work, but they may just be brushed off. And sometimes it's a whole bunch rather than one or two.... definitely hard to deal with... I guess this is what they mean when they tell you about the importance of classroom management and how it's one of the toughest things to learn.

There is a whole world of people involved in this process of conversation and education, and it's hard keeping track of who to talk to and what to say and how to deal with all sorts of different people. Parents, sponsor teachers, administration, university advisors, other staff, students, PAC members, etc. It's a steep learning curve for us young'uns, so I guess I just have to stay the course and keep my caffeine at optimum levels.

Between the fact that I was in class all day and didn't have time to eat lunch and had volleyball until late, I was a tired puppy. Should be a fun career! :)

Okay, enough ranting. I'll post something else on the weekend. Ciao all...

- T