Sorry I have to vent.... I don't know if it's just me but I'm feeling so overwhelmed and I'm only on my 6th day of school. Our district has a new Chief Academic Officer and he's INSANE! We will be having random walkthroughs all year critiquing our classroom environment/ instruction. (I already had one yesterday..and we have another scheduled for later in week.) Our schedule is bell-to-bell instruction with only 10 minutes for recess 25 mins. for lunch and 30 mins. for Fine Arts. I feel like my kids developmentally aren't ready for everything that's being mandated. I'm trying to keep up with administrations expectations, but at the same time my kids are starting to fall apart! I was just curious what your schedules were like and where I could jazz it up for them. I just feel like we're pushing too hard! I already thought our expectations were high in K, when did 1st grade become 2nd?!?!
I am feeling overwhelmed as well. I am new to the district and community. So far both have been wonderful, but I feel really lost. I do have a mentor, and she has been wonderful about answering questions when I bring them to her. But if I don't ask she isn't going to be forthcoming with anything. This school is totally differnent than my old school. There is no micromanager telling me when to do EVERYTHING. Which I do appreciate tremendously, but there seems to be a lack of directions except for keep up the good work from last year. This campus was Exemplary. ( highest rating in the state rating system) I am sure that once I get the feel and a schedule down I don't feel so overwhelmed. I have also noticed that their expectations of what my kids should know from Kinder is totally different. I was expecting a few more of my kids to be able to write more than just their names. Forget counting to 100 and putting it down on paper. My kids didn't know the calendar either, or at least they couldn't tell me the parts of the calendar. I hope things get better for you and for me as well. We teach from bell to bell too and it's hard I know. Good luck!!!!!
YES!!! I AM SO OVERWHELMED!! I literally stop to sleep, and that's it. But I am also a first-year teacher. It is sooooooooo overwhelming and I am only going into day 3!!
This is my 7th year of teaching, but my first year in a new school, a new school system, and a new grade! 1st grade is an experience for me, because I taught 4th grade for the past 4 years (and 7th for my first 2 years). I am extremely overwhelmed! I took a year off to be home with my children, and I feel so rusty! Perhaps some of the stress and disorganization is coming from the fact that I am also in grad school (dropped one class so I only have 1 this semester, though), this is my first time juggling work and 2 little ones, and my husband is deployed to Iraq. I am hoping everything starts to fall into place! We have had 4 days of school, and so far I do not feel like I am on top of things.
I can't even imagine the shock of coming to 1st grade must be, let alone all of the other stuff. Keep in mind, that these first weeks, your main concern is procedures - so don't feel behind. Everyone who comes to our district always says it feels like they are a new teacher again. It is a transition with a challenge, that's for sure! Just know that the feelings you have are normal and hopefully you have a buddy who can help you get through this. It will get better once the beginning of school is over and you can get into your regular routine!
Same here!!! This is also my seventh year teaching, but my first year in a new grade level!! I worked as a Literacy Teacher for the past four years. I taught two year in second grade before that!! So it has been a while since I have been a classroom teacher and I feel soooo rusty!!! The first four days of school felt sooo rushed!! I forgot about all the non-instructional duties that come along with being a classroom teacher!! Good luck to everyone this year!!!!
