A Look Back @ Day 1

September 2004-Day 1, what a rush. There I was, a teacher who really wasn't a teacher standing in a room, waiting for the kids to show up, trying not to throw up. I was wearing a suit, which I hated, and had about 14 community building games running through my head.

Big Questions:
1. What was I doing here?
2. What if I sucked at this?
3. When would lunch be?

The kids walk in, 6th graders, my first class of the day. We stand in a circle and begin by playing silent ball in order to learn each others names. I don't realize that being such a small school that they allready know each others names and have for the past five years. We are Responsive Classroom and this is what I have been taught to do. We are playing hard, diving, dipping and most importantly going through the motions of learning each others names.

Thoughts Going Through My Head:
1. I can do this!
2. Ouch that hurt (ball hit me in the head)
3. These kids are great!

This class ends and I have five more just like it. At the end of the day I sit down and think back to what happened that day. I realize that I am going to have to dress down a little- this was a hard, sweaty job. I also realize that being nice is okay, you don't have to be a grouch to get respect. I think about what I am supposed to do for the next six weeks and decide to rewrite my lessons that night.

It's going to be a long, fun, crazy, year.