Today I was reminded of long ago, when my teaching career had just started. We have quite a bit of new teachers at our school, and they are young! As they are bright eyed and bushy tailed, the thing I adore most is how they don’t stress over anything. They are just casual, it’ll get done. They don’t let deadlines effect them for some reason, maybe they have it already done, with all that energy, I bet they have! Not like this “seasoned” teacher as I am often called.
I know the new teachers don’t like to be called “cute” but they are! I can’t help it! Not that they have cute little lunch boxes or anything, just little details like their screen saver to their computers showing our school mascot and the school logo. I am still trying to get those official lesson plans in the google drive! They are off installing new software and wondering when we get teacher’s manuals. As with experience comes wisdom. Of course, I already have copies made to start my children off on something the minute they enter the room, while I work out the new attendance system on the laptop. Not that it is busy work, and I do have some new, exciting activities for them, they just have to have practice in putting it down on paper, in word form. I can’t wait until Tuesday when they try to Save Fred!
I remember twenty years ago when I was all fresh. Back then, we didn’t even have a curriculum printed! Just a long list of concepts and skills our set of children were to know and master by June. I remember tracing, cutting, laminating (in which I still adore!) double checking I had everything I needed for the next day. I hand made folder activities, worksheets, writing paper, everything I had planned on paper. I had so much energy! I’d be up well past midnight until it finally dawned on me I should be going to bed. Maybe that’s why I suffer from insomnia!
The new teachers actually give me a quick charge. Maybe it’s the thought of when my energy level was through the roof. I want to wish all my teacher friends a wonderful year, even though I will miss some of them desperately, Jen!!!!! As I miss many other friends I still keep in touch with at my old school. Have a great year, and hopefully I can master some of that new found energy for this “seasoned” teacher.