Week 4 Post

This teaching thing never seems to get old. Just as I thought I should be getting used to my surroundings, my students, etc it all goes haywire and I get chewed up and spit out by teaching as a collective whole. This past week was the first time that I was visibly "defeated". It was an awful, awful feeling! I had a good first two days of the week and then Wednesday just fell apart before it started somehow. It felt as though everything was off. Students weren't listening to instructions, it seemed as though I was a half second to slow on lessons, discussions, instructions...everything! I was disrupted throughout the day and was finally crushed in the afternoon by a student.
I guess we're expected to have these kind of days from time to time. I work with twenty 8-year olds so I guess that is to be expected but it sure wasn't any fun. I was lucky that after the day was over I was able to discuss and reflect my day with my mentor teacher. We discussed a lot of different issues ranging from how I let my classroom management go, to how my instruction in lessons could've been different and better, and how I shouldn't ever show the defeat in my face because my students will jump on that. A couple of them did and I guess I would've done the same back in the day.
The fact of the matter that I was able to have that discussion with her after school really really helped me. Not only the rest of the day I was a little more stable because of the thoughts and ideas that were moving around in my brain but also the simple truth that these days happen and to get over it.
With how bad that day was the next day was almost that good. How amazing the change in everything. Now I'm not sure if it's because of me doing something differently in my teaching or the students just sensing that they needed to show up for a day and prove to me that they can do it. Whatever it was it was a big win for me after such a bad loss the day before.