Word of the profession: flexibility

Yes, the word of the profession of teaching is flexibility. I've had to be flexible on many occasions in my short career so far.

I was flexible when I was told students would be pulled out of class when textbooks were being assigned through the library. I missed a class period's worth of valuable instruction time with my students. What I lost in classroom time, I gained in extra time elsewhere, seeing as how the dreadful task of assigning textbooks was taken off of me.

I was flexible when the fire drill came at the worst possible time, as I foresee it will come in the future, also. I will be flexible then.

I was flexible when the LCD projector in my classroom died just as I was beginning the day's classes. Thank goodness for giant Post-it Notes (aka chart paper) and Crayola magic markers; ingenuity at its best.

I was flexible when I had planned a day of computer testing so I could find out the students' reading levels (which I was required to do, also) and picture day interrupted the whole thing.

Most importantly, I was flexible when I looked around the room during my lesson on characterization in short stories today and realized that it was not clicking and no lightbulbs were turning on during the activity. At the end of the day, I sat down with my co-teacher and we revamped everything we had planned to do tomorrow, including shortening the quiz from plot elements and characterization to just plot elements. It just doesn't make sense to keep going with a failing lesson or activity. It's easy for me to put my own ego aside and figure out what is best for the students. I am always learning. I want to model this kind of flexibility for the students. If they are in a situation and their intended plans aren't working, they should be able to recognize it and reevaluate when needed.

I am not the almighty teacher who knows everything and exactly how to teach it to her students. I have 83 students, and I swear they learn in 83 different ways. I would be crazy to think I didn't have to flexible to keep up with them.

Wow. Tomorrow is the twelfth day of school. Wow.

It has been a doozy, that's for sure. But I am still absolutely in love with it!

I am truly living the dream. I am teaching. This is something I've been working towards for quite some time, so it truly is amazing.

I have 83 students (and I'm actually losing three of those students to the gifted classes, about which I am excited for them and sad that they're leaving at the same time). I have one class with 22 students, only four of which are girls. Needless to say, it takes me quite a while to focus that class.

I am the only first-year teacher in the entire school. That's fun.

However, my students this year do not, and will not, know that. It does not make me any less of a teacher and allows me to find my ground and hit my stride without worrying.

The students amaze me in many ways every day. One boy gave me the rundown of what I had worn to school every day since the first day, shoes, jewelry and all. Woah. One girl was inspired to write poetry because of a first day of school poem I wrote and shared with the classes. One boy has asked me every day if I'm coming to the first football game. I have assured him every day that I am indeed coming.

I was offered the Assistant Cheerleading Coach positon, only to realize that I didn't need to take the offer, because teaching is my first job and I want to get out of survival mode before I take on extra work like that.

There is a senior Georgia College cohort student placed in the 8th grade with the students I had last year during my student teaching. She shares little tidbits of information and fun stories about them with me daily. It's a nice pick-me-up. The other day we were walking in the hallway and passed by my former babies. The senior student teacher said one of the kids said, "Look at Ms. Herring! She's such a real teacher. She looks so professional!"

I am slowly building a relationship with each student, which is an integral part of my teaching philosophy.

Things are slowly coming together. I am loving it! Some days are great! Some days not so much. It's about learning to love it anyway.