Day 13

"How are you classes this year?"

That's a question that people keep asking me (students from last year, new & old teachers, friends). Last year it was a question I dreaded answering because I didn't want people to doubt my abilities as a new teacher. However, I find myself enjoying (as much as one can enjoy it) answering this question this year.

My classes are fantastic. I've said numerous times that my 2H class is amazing, and I still mean that. My 3CPs may not be the most academically strong, but they're putting in more effort than I've seen in my last year and in my year of student teaching. My 2CPs, though struggling to remember their Spanish 1 concepts, are still showing up everyday, taking notes when I ask them to, and participating in class. Again, though their academic performance might not show it, they're a great bunch. I can't say that I'm disappointed with my classes this year in the least. In fact, I like them more than any of the classes I've had in the past two years (both as a first-year teacher and as a teaching intern).

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I have a better understanding of what to expect from the kids this year. Last year my expectations were sky-high. Not that I don't have high expectations this year, but I'm better prepared for the challenges, as I know for sure what the students were supposed to have covered last year (seeing as though I taught Spanish 1 and 2 last year, I know what grammar topics they covered and should know by Spanish 2 and 3). I now know that not every kid is an A student, and that it's okay not to be an A student. I know that some kids have some serious drama going on in their personal lives (although I may not know the drama affecting individual students, but a general understanding of some of the things these kids face), and that often school work outside of school is impossible (or at least extremely difficult) to complete. I know that students need to be constantly praised and picked up when they're feeling down as well as when they're feeling... up.

I know that I am not superwoman. I can only do what I can do, and although it may seem that people expect me to give more than I can give, I know they are satisfied that I give as much as I can give. I may still be dealing with the "overworked and underappreciated (underpaid)" issues, but I'm glad that I can still be a good, happy teacher.