Meet the Teacher

My first year as a teacher coincided with the first year my county celebrated something they called "The First Days of School." Part of this celebration is called "Meet Your Teacher." Essentially, it's a chance to go the week before school, meet your teachers, pick up your schedule, pay for lunches, buy fitness uniforms, etc.

While this is a great idea, it stinks.

As a teacher going into the start of school, you now have to have your classroom ready to go, or at the very least, presentable, several days sooner.

But the worst of it was, my first year teaching, the parents come in and see me (and I frankly have an ageless face, which means I could be 18 or 30, but concerned parents immediately decide I am way too young for this), and start asking the tough questions. Like, "What does my child need for the entire year for your class?"

I thought to myself, I don't even know what your child will need next week... so you're outta luck for the entire year...

Then the scariest part was I was by my desk when the first parent shoved their child at me (the really did shove their little darlings at me... the first time it was funny, but soon nothing was funny) After that first parent and kid combo came, there was no let up... for 2... whole... hours. And I was trapped by my desk... there were so many parents wanting to meet me they were lined up out the door and down the stairs to my portable. When one parent took too much of my time, the other parents started grumbling. I just knew I was going to be killed by a parent brawl.

The only thing that saved me was the principal coming on the announcements, as promised, and telling the parents that while we are glad they came, the teachers need to eat, so they will now be locking their doors.

I was so exhausted and overwhelmed I just slid to the floor after locking my door and thought to myself, I am NOT supposed to be a teacher. I can't even answer simple questions!

Thankfully enough, my father had stopped by earlier and was basically encouraging, and my best friend stopped by to see how I had fared and ask when I could leave, because she wanted to go out to lunch. She had to knock a few times, because I didn't want to get off the floor and I didn't want to talk to another parent.

She plied me with liquids (talking for two straight hours had made me desperately thirsty) and bundled me off to lunch, where she told me I'd be fine, and stop whining.

She was right, but it was still overwhelming.

My second year went better, as I had answers and I knew better than to put myself somewhere I didn't want to spend 2 hours trapped.

I sat on the corner of my desk when standing became too much, which made me much happier, and I had a water bottle within arms reach.

This year I know I will be completely fine. I like meeting my new students, and it's fun to guess the personality of each... plus, I get a preview of which parents will be "difficult" and which will be "wonderful."

After all, they will be the ones who will feature most prominently in this blog. They make school interesting, and worthwhile.

Well, here it is! My first post! Now, I want to start with a confession. While I am intending to share the insane stories that occur each and every day when you work with children, I have to get something off my chest... while my blog is titled, "The English Teacher Chronicles," my official title is Language Arts teacher. However, unless you have recently graduated from public school, have children in school, or are in the education field, you probably don't know what that is... If I taught high school intead of middle school, I would be an English teacher, so it's not a total lie.

Since it's summer, I will spend my time telling you the "classic" stories that live forever in teacher's minds... the kids you won't forget, the strange things parents do, the weird way 12-year-olds react to daily life. It's quite an experience in the public school system these days, so hang on for quite a ride.