First Year Blues

Actually, I’m not feeling blue about my new job, and it’s really not my first year.  This will be my 14th year of teaching, give or take.  I am moving into the 8th grade language arts position at my school from the technology teaching job.  After being at home for 8 years with my kids, I was more than ready to teach whatever I would be allowed to teach, so I applied for and got the technology teaching job at our local middle school three years ago.  I was hungry, so the steep learning curve did not deter me.  Or rather, I was blinded by my desperation to get out of the house and actually achieve something!

Happy to be back in the language arts classroom, I am working on getting my room together and planning lessons for the first days of school. 

Moving into a new position after being at a school for several years gives me a huge advantage, especially since I have had almost every one of my students when they were in 6th grade and some again in 7th grade.  

Plus, I have so much technology background that I can share with my students.  For example, students will create a greenscreen memoir piece. They will also create student portfolios using Weebly.  And I want them all to create audio or video book reviews to recommend books to other students. 

Because I’m going to have 8th grade students all day, I’m reading Classroom Conscious Management and tend to agree with much of what Smith says in the book.  I have not been able to get through a book on teaching…ever! But this one is actually practical and realistic. 

As we all scramble to get our classrooms and lessons ready for our students, I’m reminded of a scene in Shakespeare in Love when one character is worried that the play will not come off:

Philip Henslowe: Mr. Fennyman, allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster.

Hugh Fennyman: So what do we do?

Philip Henslowe: Nothing. Strangely enough, it all turns out well.

Hugh Fennyman: How?

Philip Henslowe: I don’t know. It’s a mystery.

Precisely, we don’t know how it will all come together, but it will. So you and I can forego the before school blues.

news from the back door

I rediscovered The Back Door Cafe this year when I went back to work after being at home with the kids.  I “forgot” my home  lunch many times this year and subsequently made my way to The Back Door.  I have never been disappointed.  On the contrary, I often ended up coming out of there with something extra (i. e., carrot cake) for myself or to share with someone else.

This blog is here for all of you Back Door fans to either post comments about your experiences or to leave updates about events or art showings at the Back Door.  A list of posts and comments can also be seen here.