The first day has come and gone. I prepared endlessly, it feels, and ultimately it paid off. One of the girls (quite honestly, I'm not sure which one because it takes a little time to distinguish between and among them) piped up on our way out the door (only 5 minutes late, and with none of the important papers and memos left behind, which is actually quite good for the first day...). She said "When I get home my mom is going to ask how was school and I'm going to say wonderful!" Which is a bit amusing given that it feels like all we did today was peel and stick name labels onto a million different notebooks and workbooks and folders...
But she's probably reacting to that same, hopeful anything-can-happen feeling the teachers get around this time of year, too. It's the one that popped me out of bed on several Saturday mornings before school started and had me analyzing the teacher's guide fpr math and creating a Student Math Goal Grid and a break-down of the Test Prep book according to skill... sounds like fun, doesn't it?
Anyway, everything went very smoothly, and I'm happy to report I am fully prepared for tomorrow and actually looking forward to it, in accordance with my personal goals for this year.
Also, another analogy for teaching dawned on me today as a trudged through the dampness of the day to the subway: Teaching is a 7-hour one-man show performed for 180 days in a row. Each show must be unique, enriching, and tailored to each of the audience members individually. The teacher is not only the actor, but also the writer, director, producer, usher, tech crew and props department.
As I told Shorty this evening, 10 months of being tired begins now.
I have to say, it has been so amazing to have Shorty here backing me up -- making me lunches, procuring dinners, doing laundry, giving me back massages, making sure I get to bed and wake up on time and take my medicine... It's like having my own pit crew in between performances. I'm like an acrobat realizing how much better it is to have a safety net, when all this time I was going without!
Great minds, same track! I've always thought of teaching as five shows a week, no audience! At least, no adult audience who will stand at the stage door and tell you how fabulous you were on the way out. The children will let you know, of course, but it's really good to hear it from someone who appreciates your performance for its technique and artistry - which happens very rarely!
ReplyDeletePlease give Shorty a hug for me and tell him I appreciate his safety-net work for my girl!
ILY AJ