Survival of week #1

It wasn't nearly as monumental as one may assume.

I stepped into my classroom as an actual teacher (or student teacher, anyway) for the first time this week. Over the past weeks and months, I had built it up in my head as something massive to fear and be anxious about. But, it was not nearly as busy/stressful as I thought... "This is the way the [week] ends, not with a bang but a whimper". I'm still unsure as to whether I'm anxious about getting my hands dirty and getting to the activities and making plans and marking papers, or if I should simply be happy that I've got time to relax right now and take my time getting ready for the hellish schedule that is to come.

The week more or less consisted of me getting my bearings at the school. Tuesday started with a staff meeting at 7:30am. I had shown up on the previous Friday to roam around and get some texts from the school... I would have totally missed our staff meeting and newbie orientation if I hadn't asked. I'm glad I emailed the other two interns to let them know the deal. After that, the first couple days were dedicated to getting class schedules sorted out for teachers and students alike, getting coaching assignments handed out, and mainly just getting to know the place and people that I would be hanging around for the next 10 months. It was good... pretty low stress, everyone seemed welcoming and friendly, and there were definitely a couple people who were excited about the fact that I'm taking on the role of co-coach for the Boys Volleyball team.

The main problem I found is this... sitting in a classroom without being in charge of it while someone else is teaching is NOT that much fun. Sure, it takes away the stress of being responsible for everything myself. However, after two days of watching my two sponsor teachers in action, I began to feel like I needed to just take the reigns and start doing my own thing. Unfortunately, that moment doesn't take place until the end of the month, so I guess the next couple weeks will be a test in patience (alongside learning the names of 40-50 staff members and about 70 students/players). They're both great though, so I'm sure I'll survive.

I'm sure that as the students get settled in and we all get used to the fact that summer is on the way out, things will sort themselves out. I'm also hoping that our staff wine tasting will help this along. And realistically, I've got plenty on my plate this week... night class tomorrow, Tuesday night V-ball tryouts, Wednesday night coaching meeting, Thursday retreat (with wine!!), Friday practice, Saturday University class.... the list goes on, so I guess I should just concentrate on getting some sleep and getting ready for what this new world is going to throw at me. C'est la vie.

- T