Early Morning Worries

5am. My alarm clock didn't wake me yet, but my nerves sure did. Two more Mondays. Nine more days. So much to accomplish.

My cooperating teacher wasn't kidding when she said the Romeo and Juliet unit would take forever. I planned for maybe six weeks. We're approaching week six and are halfway through Act 3. The students are excited about it, they love reading it. Which is great and all except for the fact that I feel like I'm beating a dead horse. The other 9th grade English teacher started around the same time as me and is at about the same place...so it's not like I'm doing it wrong, but I can't help but feel that way.

I want to take a break from the monotonous reading this week and work on a debate with my students...but there's goes another week of not progressing with reading. Last week, we worked on adaptation projects. While they were fun and showcased the students understanding of the play, it's another week I will never get back.

I guess you could say I'm feeling the pressure of crunch time. There's so much I want to accomplish in and out of my classroom and I just feel like I am running out of time. I thought I would be excited to count down my final ten days...boy was I wrong. I don't want to say goodbye to my students. I wish I could continue with them and finish what I started.

Collecting Thoughts

Kayla Sawyer's latest blog has inspired me to get out a few thoughts as I sit here in the teacher workroom thinking about my final three weeks of teaching. So here's my list of thoughts...

1. My To-Do list. By the end of this week I need to complete a draft of my student analysis, finish my School Spring profile, and apply for the summer school position.

2. I also need to make time this week to do normal human being things. (i.e.- eat, sleep, and shower)

3. I thought I would be more excited for this experience to end, instead I'm really sad that I will be leaving NPHS.

4. I will be back, though :)

5. Students notice everything. Even the fact that my feet are not as tan as my arms, something I didn't even notice.

6. This weather is not helping my somber mood.

7. Yesterday I decided that life is about being the best you that you can possibly be. I can't compare myself to others. That is all.

8. I'm feeling overwhelmed.

9. Talking to my CT really helps.

10. Taking five minutes to collect my thoughts has also helped. Thanks for the great idea Kayla! :)

Feeling the Pressure

As my time at North Providence High School is approaching the final four weeks, overwhelmed seems to be the only word that sums up my emotions. I feel like I am not going to be able to get all that I want to accomplish accomplished, I'm feeling rushed, and I feel like I need more time. At the same time, I am overwhelmed with joy and excitement as I am one step closer to fulfilling my dream of being a teacher.

When I made my Romeo and Juliet unit last semester, it seemed so perfect. The whole unit was 6 weeks start to finish. Now, four weeks into my unit, I am not even halfway through it. The real life experiences that have come with teaching the play have added extra time to the unit. Between extra time on analyzing concepts, taking tests, working in groups, and making up for missed classes, I am no where near on task with my hypothetical calendar.

I am also feeling the frustrations of a teacher dealing with difficult students. I have some students who no matter how hard I try, will not give the material a chance. I even have one student who openly says "I'm not doing the work. I don't care." While this is SO incredibly frustrating, I have learned that it is all a part of the experience. My cooperating teacher has helped through this struggle and we are currently dealing with it.

While these are some struggles, the good outweighs the bad. I have so many moments a day where I smile at the little things that make it worth it. I am excited to continue my journey of rewarding struggles of becoming a teacher. The hard times are learning experiences and the good times are what will keep me going.

Breath in. Breathe out. Smile.