I really can't believe that next week I am officially starting as a teacher. I don't interact with the students until the 19th, but I'm really stressing out on this one.
I was hired really late in the hiring process, by teacher's standards. I didn't get my keys until a few days ago, and when I walked into my lab, it was a disaster. They received new computers for my lab but they can't open them until the 13th and even then they aren't sure if they will be keeping them because of budget problems in the district. If that happens, it will be a scramble to get usable computers into my lab before the first few days of school.
The teacher that I am taking over for didn't exactly leave her office in the best of standings either. It is a complete mess and I can't find anything. She left a few of the assignments that she's used in the past but nothing that I can really figure out and use. Meaning, I have no idea how in the world I'm going to teach a couple of my classes. For the past few days since I saw my lab, I've been trying to collect as much information/resources as I possibly can (thanks Trent!) but I'm still stressing out about all this. I'm such a visual learner that I think I wouldn't be stressing out as much if there was a way for me to see the classes being taught before I taught them. But since it is the summer, there is no way to do that. I'm at such a loss over all this. I'm not worried about the film class (well, not as worried as I am about the other classes). But it is really different since the last time I took a class like this. My senior year in high school I TA'd for one of the classes, but things have changed. When I was in school, we had a 7 period day of 52 minute classes, which I thought were really doable. Now they are in a block schedule which means 75 to 90 minute classes. HOW in hells bells am I supposed to keep teenagers working on assignments for 90 minutes in a computer class?! UGG!
I'm so freaking out about all this that I'm not sleeping well, which is making me a bit more snappy than usual. Coupled with the fact that I can't communicate with the previous teacher (or at least she won't communicate with me) so I'm not seeing a light at the end of this tunnel and I can hear the train whistle rapidly approaching.
Hopefully there is a way for me to jump off the tracks before that train reaches the tunnel.
2 comments:
ai ai ai! Dang that's crazy business. Good luck, my friend, PLEASE don't get hit by that train! I think the 90 minute schedule is ridonkulous too, that is so much for a teacher to have to prepare all the time. Ugh, good luck!
I'm wishing you the best of luck as a teacher. I'm sure you'll do great! Little minds to be molded and shaped, little egos to be crushed, little futures to be set in motion... that's exciting. Take what little was left to you and make it your own.
Post a Comment