It feels so crazy that I have already been in the classroom for a month.
Four weeks in and I am not yet feeling overwhelmed. I know that there are things that I am not the most efficient or effective at, but I also know that I am not completely failing my kids. I feel comfortable and confident that things will get better.
I have not felt the need to write because my grad school classes have me submitting reflections every week. Literally every week. I 1000% understand the need for reflection but this frequency makes it hard to breathe sometimes. There are some weekends that I just want to turn my brain off and not think about the week that just happened. I won't complain too much though cuz at least it's only reflections and not crazy long assignments.
I am starting to feel more at ease in Fort Worth. I can drive to more and more places without using my GPS. I know where the nearest mall is, the nearest three movies theaters, and the nearest HEB (20 miles away in a Fort Worth suburb called Burleson). I am also starting to get used to the crazy driving here. Everyone is going 10mph above the posted speed limit, which is still not as bad as in Houston but certainly better than Austin's stop and go traffic everywhere. Everything feels really far away still and people have no problem driving 30+ miles for simple trips. I hate driving so this is still something I need to get used to.
Recently, I was mentioned in a tweet from the head of elementary schools of FWISD that was retweeted by the FWISD superintendent. I was weirdly proud of myself because it was rather unexpected. One of the pre-k teachers at my school approached me and asked if it would be okay for her to bring up her students and let them see the science lab for a little bit. I thought it was a great idea and she brought them not too long after that. My fifth grade students became model scientist, telling the younger students how to hold materials, how to stay safe, and what it is like being in fifth grade. The other teacher and I were incredibly impressed at how well everything went and took some pictures. A few days later and the pictures were on Twitter. I really hope that this is a sign that the rest of the school year is going to be amazing.
Working out has gotten quite a bit more difficult to do. Despite my gym being so much closer than it was in Austin (and there being gym equipment in the office at my apartments), I have not made it to the gym since before the first week of school. Luckily, staying on my feet all day, walking students all over the school, and staying on top of my eating habits have kept me feeling energized and not allowed my body to change too much. I really want to find some workouts I can do in my apartment and eliminate any excuses for not working out. If you have any ideas or recommendations, please send them my way!
Even though the honeymoon phase with my students is clearly over and deadlines are rolling around constantly, I am still riding the wave of positivity from the start of the year. I want to keep this up for as long as possible because I have heard all about Quitstober and the struggle that is November. I know that I won't give up or quit on my students, but I know that things will get hard(er). Just gotta keep moving forward and keep pushing myself and my students!
Four weeks in and I am not yet feeling overwhelmed. I know that there are things that I am not the most efficient or effective at, but I also know that I am not completely failing my kids. I feel comfortable and confident that things will get better.
I have not felt the need to write because my grad school classes have me submitting reflections every week. Literally every week. I 1000% understand the need for reflection but this frequency makes it hard to breathe sometimes. There are some weekends that I just want to turn my brain off and not think about the week that just happened. I won't complain too much though cuz at least it's only reflections and not crazy long assignments.
I am starting to feel more at ease in Fort Worth. I can drive to more and more places without using my GPS. I know where the nearest mall is, the nearest three movies theaters, and the nearest HEB (20 miles away in a Fort Worth suburb called Burleson). I am also starting to get used to the crazy driving here. Everyone is going 10mph above the posted speed limit, which is still not as bad as in Houston but certainly better than Austin's stop and go traffic everywhere. Everything feels really far away still and people have no problem driving 30+ miles for simple trips. I hate driving so this is still something I need to get used to.
Recently, I was mentioned in a tweet from the head of elementary schools of FWISD that was retweeted by the FWISD superintendent. I was weirdly proud of myself because it was rather unexpected. One of the pre-k teachers at my school approached me and asked if it would be okay for her to bring up her students and let them see the science lab for a little bit. I thought it was a great idea and she brought them not too long after that. My fifth grade students became model scientist, telling the younger students how to hold materials, how to stay safe, and what it is like being in fifth grade. The other teacher and I were incredibly impressed at how well everything went and took some pictures. A few days later and the pictures were on Twitter. I really hope that this is a sign that the rest of the school year is going to be amazing.
Working out has gotten quite a bit more difficult to do. Despite my gym being so much closer than it was in Austin (and there being gym equipment in the office at my apartments), I have not made it to the gym since before the first week of school. Luckily, staying on my feet all day, walking students all over the school, and staying on top of my eating habits have kept me feeling energized and not allowed my body to change too much. I really want to find some workouts I can do in my apartment and eliminate any excuses for not working out. If you have any ideas or recommendations, please send them my way!
Even though the honeymoon phase with my students is clearly over and deadlines are rolling around constantly, I am still riding the wave of positivity from the start of the year. I want to keep this up for as long as possible because I have heard all about Quitstober and the struggle that is November. I know that I won't give up or quit on my students, but I know that things will get hard(er). Just gotta keep moving forward and keep pushing myself and my students!