Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Oh, the terror...

As is typical for me, as the new school year approaches, nightmares begin.  This has been a pattern from my first year of teaching, thirteen years ago, and one I expect will continue, even though in my waking life I look forward to the start of the school year.

In last night's nightmare, I had somehow been re-assigned to teach kindergarten.  The whole scenario so terrified me that I woke up in a cold sweat.  In the dream, I immediately started planning to leave the country.  The only rational response, huh?


She's smiling...but on the inside she's dying.


I really am built for 8th grade teaching and have never wanted to teach any others.  (As an aside, when strangers ask what I do and I tell them, they are almost universally horrified, as in "8th graders?  Why would you do that to yourself?")  Since I substitute taught before I began my full-time work, I have experienced the full range of ages and subjects and know that I am in the right place.

I subbed high school.  Once.

I subbed in a P.E. class, also once, after ingloriously being pounded in the head by an errant tether ball.

I subbed assorted elementary classes quite a few times, until, no doubt overwhelmed by the constant questions and the frequent corrections, ("That's not the way Mrs._______does it.") I literally fainted. Very undignified.

And I can say that although there have been challenges, I have not yet fainted, nor been hit with a ball in my years of teaching 8th grade.  Definitely signs that I am in the right place.

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