Graduation..kind of.

So, Wednesday was my last day of Junior High. It was bittersweet leaving that day. It is amazing how much you get used to who/what you are around. I had the students give me anonymous feedback. I told them to write one thing they liked, one thing they didn't like, and one thing I can work on to become a better teacher. I made sure to tell them to compare me to their other teachers as a guide. Wow, were they brutally honest!

Most said I should work on my handwriting, which is very valid. Others said I should write down things in complete sentences so they know what I meant. This is true, too, because I tend to use short hand when doing notes. I forget that they are only in 8th grade and that they need much more guidance in note taking. A couple said I should be more confident and less nervous. Some said I was too strict, others said too nice. So there are definitely some things I am taking with a grain of salt. But I definitely need to loosen up a bit. I am just so afraid of losing control if I act too goofy. Then again, I should just be myself and let the students know of when it is appropriate and when it is not.

I learned a lot from these youngsters, and I gave them each a pen and highlighter to show my appreciation.

Starting Monday I will be at ne of the local High Schools. I am pretty nervous. I will be taking part in a 12th grade English class, which is kind of scary. These students are going to be 6 years younger than me. That's not very much, in my opinion. I hear they are really great though. One of my colleagues had them and she said they were nice. I am curious to know more about them as a class, but I also want to find out on my own. I do not want to step into the classroom Monday with a bias. I feel that it is important to keep judgments to a minimum at the beginning.

I am also excited to be at the high school because they do the block scheduling. To me, this is a normal schedule, but apparently they are the only school in the district that does it. I should be comfortable in it seeing as I had it at my high school. The only thing is, as a teacher, how am I going to keep the students' attention for 90 min??

Well, wish me luck. I'll try to let you know how it goes down.