Monday, September 04, 2006

Lost

Help!! School starts tomorrow and I have never felt so unprepared for anything in my life! My first time seeing the classroom was on Friday. The school is going through some major changes at the moment, and the entire admin. is new, not to mention 10 new teachers. I still don't have the basic procedures down. There is no "new teacher info" packet or anything like that. Everyone is crazy busy and has no time to answer my millions of questions. My schedule changed three times on Friday. For a while I was teaching Math, Science, and PE (what I was hired to teach). Then that changed and I was also teaching French. Then it changed again and now I am teaching more Science and no PE or French.

The classroom is a mess. The students don't bring their own supplies to school, we give them everything they need. BUT all the supplies aren't in yet!! I'm hoping to steal some pencils from other teachers for the first day. Some classrooms don't even have enough desks for all the students!

There are 6 periods a day. I teach math in 2 periods and science in 3 periods, with one period to prepare. Then there is also homeroom time in the morning, at nutrition break (recess is a thing of the past), and after lunch. I have 26 students in my homeroom.

I just wish I had one full day to get in the classroom and organize stuff. But it's a long weekend here and the school is locked.

I've worked myself into quite a state. I can't sleep, I'm having nightmares, and my stomach is in knots. I can't even get in there early tomorrow because I don't have a car yet and have to bum a ride from a friend. I did buy a car, but I can't get it until Weds. or Thurs. I'll put up a pic this weekend. I'm not even excited about it. The nervousness about school is overshadowing everything.

I just need to chill out and not take things so seriously. It's only a temporary contract, I'm finished on Nov. 6. I guess I just don't want the kids to know how unprepared I am. I don't want them to think they can walk all over me. I've been told that with these kids I have to be very strict right from day 1.

Maybe I shouldn't have accepted a full time job right away. I should be happy I'm not a TOC (substitute teacher).

Wish me luck for tomorrow!! It's only a half day, can't be too bad...RIGHT?

6 comments:

Lena said...

dont worry babe, ull do great . if they give u trouble say u have friends in the yakuza !! im sure u will make science fun for the kids. dont worry about your first few classes! They will love u !
first day back teaching today its ok so far but need my msn buddy !! hehehe

Titia Delores said...

You will be fine!!!! But, did you get my letter? I mailed two weeks ago...

-Titia

Gemma said...

GANBATTE K-chan! You will rock! You are a smooth operator! You'Ll be grand, mun!

Anonymous said...

Don't worry! Just show the little runts who's boss. Okay, so what kind of a school is this? You give them school supplies?

Carole said...

FRENCH???? You were gonna teach French?? I thought you said you didn't speak French??? :)

YOU'LL BE GREAT!!! Cause you are great!! Canadian kids....not so different from Japanese kids, kids'll be kids! Just show them you're the one in charge!

I agree with Erin : "you give them school supplies?" Do all schools in Alberta do this??

luv ya!!

Anonymous said...

good Koren!! Just use all that great experience you learned while teaching in Japan!!1....oh wait a sec....hmm....


Will