Its been a while since I've had to experience the "first day of school" stuff and this year was interesting. Many of the faculty thought that I was just going to come in for last year and that the teacher that I was replacing was coming back. So when I showed up, many of them asked the same question: "wasn't it just a one year contract?" I am sick of that question. I got it when I was teaching at the high school and now that I'm teaching at the middle school level, I'm getting it again? Yeesh, can't I get a break?
But all in all I am happy to have a teaching job that at least I've had a year under my belt and I kind of know (more-or-less) what it is I'm doing. This year's group of 7th graders where. . . lets just put it at interesting. Most of the ones I dealt with were scared out of their wits about coming to a large school and having to make it to class on time and being graded (for the most part, they aren't graded any more in the elementary level). This is now their 3rd day of school and things aren't looking any better now that I'm dealing more with the 8th graders. Most of the people I've talked to have said that the first little bit, they still are thinking like 7th graders and they aren't ready for 8th. I say throw them in and make them swim. And that is what I'm doing. While other teachers are doing "getting to know you games" and "get to know your teacher" stuff, I started them straight into typing and software. They'll get to know each other as the semester goes on and there is very little I think they need to know about me in order for me to do my job.
My classes haven't changed all that much, and I'm taking more about the curriculum. They have changed immensely in size. Last year my classes averaged about 25 students. This year they are full and overflowing. I have 33 computers in my lab therefore you would think that I would only be able to take 33 students. For some odd reason the registrar thinks that I can work with 35, so I've had to speak with her. They have been going down as students are withdrawing from school or from the classes.
I do miss teaching the high schoolers, but middle school has it's ups and downs. For one thing, next semester--if everything goes through--I will have a basic TV Broadcasting class (because the school's announcements STINK!). The principal wants to try it out and see how things go.
