The honeymoon is over...

that's what all of the teachers at Noel have been saying. Discipline issues are getting worse, but the class size got smaller and students are finally where they need to be academically.

While things are going up and down, I feel lucky that I have a good group of teachers at my school who listen and give great advice. Nothing has gotten too out of control yet, I am starting to get more in depth with my lesson plans, and while my students are low, I have a clearer picture of the potential they have and the progress we can make this year.

A big thing I learned today from a fellow new teacher is that the first year of teaching is hard because we come from college where we work very hard and get good results. The grades we got were a direct reflection of the work we put into school. And now I am working very hard and not getting the same kind of good results - I am not used to this kind of failure over and over. There are so many things that we cannot control as teachers- we cannot control how the students come in every day or how they are going to behave, how they learn. The things that we can control are being planned and being positive. soo this is what we can try to focus on and not get hung up on the things we can't control. (or in TFA-speak, what is in our locus of control!)

Tomorrow I'm going home for the weekend, I am missing a professional development but I am anxious to sit on my parents couch with the cat in front of the big tv. Mental health and balance are so important to find in these weeks that seem to fly by! I have been putting in so many extra hours to do paperwork for special ed. I think the breaks are necessary and need to be WITHOUT school work..

Peace-

C