What I've Been Up To

It's been a LONG time since I've updated this little blog... it's been a little neglected because life has gotten in the way!

So... what's been taking up all my time?


Thirty one children, seven hours a day, five days a week

:)


Teaching has become my number one time consumer. I go to sleep thinking about lesson plans and wake up thinking about seating charts... not to mention reports, assessments, calling parents, assemblies, competitions, school dances, awards, notes home, projects, extension groups, photocopying, grades, discipline.

To give you an idea of how full on this whole teaching thing is, let me paint you a picture of what's been happening in our school community lately.

#1 : Reports had to be finished and proof read this week. This means constant checking of grades, comments, and general ticking-of-boxes, with lots of last minute changes that add to the already immensely high stress levels. Let's just say that I now have a renewed appreciation for all of my teachers who spent hours working on MY school reports! I had no idea about the amount of work that goes into them. Every i must be dotted and every t crossed. And every comma must be in the right place! Teachers are grammar and punctuation aficionados!


On top of reports being due, we have also had to find time for:
yearly exams (and the tonne of marking, grading and ranking that comes with them!)
the handball competition
the school disco
award ceremonies

You can see why I've been a little distracted! Lots has been going on... and in the middle of it, I'm trying to secure myself a job for next year, seeing as I'm only filling in for a teacher who's been on maternity leave. Trying to find the time to start filling out job applications whilst in the midst of the craziness of what is Term 4 is a little difficult!

Not knowing if I'll even be employed next year is even scarier!

I had this whole plan about how my teaching career would start, and this has not exactly been how I thought it would go... But, it has been great experience and a HUGE learning curve.

I have learnt to be tough, and stick to my guns. I've learnt how to (almost) control a classroom of thirty-one rambunctious ten year olds. I've learnt how to be caring and strict at the same time.

It's been one huge rollercoaster ride... a baptism of fire, if you will.

Not what I expected, or how I imagined my first year of teaching to be. Not better or worse than what I thought, just... different.


There have been awesome days and there have been days that really sucked.

There have been moments I've laughed and moments I've cried.

Days I've smiled and days I've yelled.

Days that I've been on Cloud 9 and days that I've gotten more angry than I ever have before.

Days where I have taken the frustration home with me.

Days where I've been disappointed, and anxious, and sad, and joyful, and ecstatic all within the same seven-hour period.

Days where I've felt uplifted and days where I've felt downtrodden.


I'm told this is life in the adult world. After so many years of being a student and feeling like a kid despite being twenty-something, it's strange. And I think it'll take some getting used to.