Hello and welcome to my new blog! As a first year 3rd grade teacher approaching the end of my first month, I decided to create this space as a therapeutic outlet and a place to engage in dialogue with colleagues known and unknown.
So, here I am on the front lines with a class of amazing, adorable, often difficult students in a high poverty school. My kids are beautiful. Their lives are not simple. I'm spending the majority of my day working on getting them to behave - pay attention and follow directions. No easy task, let me tell you.
I have learned many mind games in these short weeks - and despite my determination to not become emotional, I actually was moved to tears on Friday when I reached my limit getting the class to be in line, quiet, eyes noses and toes forward, hands behind their backs so they could go to lunch. The bickering and refusal to be in alphabetical order (as if it was a new concept after 3 weeks) put me beyond my limit. I paced back and forth for a few seconds, composed myself and quietly whispered, "I don't work 14 hours a day for this." They fell silent and were surprised to see that I was upset. I said absolutely nothing more to them as we traveled to the lunch room, and they visibly felt bad. Of course, by the time lunch ended I had moved on and returned to my usual smile-filled greeting of them when I picked them up. They were relieved. In fact, one student went back to the room and presented me with a folded makeshift envelope filled with a picture she had made for me - it was a beautiful, colorful design of my first name, Dawn. The note at the top read, "This is for being a good darn teacher." This time, the tears welled up for a different reason altogether, and I realized that I made it through another week.
I can't wait to see them on Monday. After all, because I got more points than them by Friday, I get to eat a delicious treat right in front of them. Let's hope they win next week so they can get me back!
