First Day

Today was the first day I spent ALL day in an elementary school.

I was so nervous!

When I first showed up my teacher (who is a man) started asking me when I would like to begin teaching.

How about....never? I thought to myself while mumbling something nondescript. It's been so long since I've been in a classroom, sixth graders scare me to death, and wanting to avoid teaching math are some of the reasons I wished I could just get out of teaching for, like....a month or two.

At least.

So today I had my own little desk in the corner and I got to observe while saying very little during most of the morning. But sitting there got real old real quick and I was just sitting, waiting, and wishing that someone would raise their hand so I could attempt to help them and feel like I was doing something.

And then it was time for recess.

I really didn't know what to do with myself.

During breaks I'd been mostly following the teacher around like an annoying little shadow and wanted to discontinue this practice as soon as possible.

But what the heck would I do outside? Who would I play with? What if the kids ganged up on me, ignored me, or even stole my lunch money? 

As all the students were leaving I was still pondering these questions and was decidedly undecided when a little girl walked right up to me and said,

"Mrs. Hansen, are you going to come outside with us?" I stammered an I don't know kind of answer. "Well you should. We're going to play four-square and it's really fun. You should come play with us!"

I could have hugged that little girl.

I actually had to run to the bathroom first because I had been too nervous/embarrassed to ask the teacher if I could take the bathroom pass.

But when I did get outside I started second guessing myself again and feeling like a big weirdo wanna-be that nobody would want to play with and would surely see through. (am I a middle-schooler, or what?)

But as I rounded the corner and was about to turn back five girls from my class started waving their arms and yelling "Mrs. Hansen! Over here!"

Then we got a big group together and played four-square and I was king for seven rounds. Biggest accomplishment of the day. (And probably only happened because I told the kids they had to play nice with me and they actually did. And also because they might have been a teeny bit scared of what would happen if they got me out)

After that bit of fun it was time to go back to observing for the next four hours. And I was just itching to get up and actually DO something.

So wish me luck as I teach my very first whole-class (I've only ever taught reading groups of students in groups of 5) MATH lesson......

on Wednesday!

I'll need all the luck I can get.