We have completed day 4 with our students, and are on the verge of starting to feel like we might be getting the hang of things… most likely… I think. Transitions are complicated, and they leave you feeling out of control and somewhat lost, no matter how great things may be. I honestly can’t say enough how thankful and thrilled we are with our new friends and coworkers, as well as the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere of our school. We are SO happy to be here! Still, “newness” in general can be difficult to deal with, even when things are going well.
For example, my class. Honestly, they are some of THE CUTEST children you have ever laid eyes on! And SWEET! Oh, can I just gush for a moment about their sweetness?! With their big round eyes and tiny little voices… they are the definition of darling!
But, they are first graders.
They are six.
Six!
That is so young!
I even have one kiddo who is rounding out their fifth year. My students’ youth is not a bad thing at all, but this age group is new to me. I know it’s only one year chronologically from where I’ve started with my students the past four years, but developmentally it feels like five- maybe more. On top of that, 1/3 of my class are English language learners, so the range of understanding is vast.
Throughout my first day of school I found myself surprised, more than once, by how different these kids were to me from my students in the past: their shorter attention spans, their wiggliness, their teeny tininess. They are only six after all! My head was spinning by the end of the day, but upon reflection I realized that I just needed to readjust my expectations and my approach. The reality of my responsibilities and goals for teaching this group of students began to solidify. I am now responsible for teaching my students foundational skills, where before I built upon and expanded those skills.
I will teach them phonics.
I will teach them how to read.
I will even teach some of them how to hold a pencil and form their letters.
I will teach most of them how to write a sentence, and then, more sentences.
I will teach them all of the basics that my past students possessed when they stepped foot in my classroom on the first day of school.
This will be new to me… very new.
On Thursday afternoon, after the first day of school was over and the final bus drove through the campus gates, I collapsed into my chair and began to leaf through the My First Day of 1st Grade books that my students had created and saw this:
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I burst out laughing! No, it’s not what you think… this kiddo does not think I am a scary dinosaur. This page is actually a perfect illustration of what I was discussing above. This child copied my name (or at least attempted to copy my name), but could not really stay focused long enough or read the headers of the book. The next page read “This year I hope to learn about…” I had read each of the headers aloud to the class, so this little tyke remembered that he would get to tell me something he hoped to learn about (dinosaurs). In his excitement, he just didn’t quite get his response on the correct page. Honestly, I’m glad he didn’t. This makes me smile much more.
So, yes, things will be new for me this year. But, I am up for the challenge. I am feeling more confident already. I shortened my explanation and work periods for the second day of class and immediately began feeling like things were clicking.
