...feeling better

I am feeling better today. School also started. It was a good day. But if there is one thing I have learned it is that you can never judge a school year, class or child by the first day of school. The first day is always good because it's brand new. They get sick of it quick. But I'm hopeful. This is going to be a good year, I can feel it. I have so many good ideas for my classes this year. I am so prepared. I stayed after school until five and got everything for the next week ready. I want to really work on facilitating discussions in my classrooms. It's going to take practice, I know but I think it will be good for me and for my students if we are able to have good conversations. F worksheets man. They are good, sparingly. I think you learn more when you talk about it and think about it and analyze it, rather than just answering questions about it. I'm going to start this tomorrow. The first ten minutes will go like this. DOL, which is two sentences to correct and then chat. I'm just going to ask them what they want to talk about, what they want to learn today and see if I can get some good discussion going. From what I've read about other teachers who do this, it takes some practice for sure. The kids are not used to it. And unfortunately, not to be a rude mean person, but one of the English teachers that some of these kids have had for the last two years did not really do anything with them. They watched movies and listened to audiotapes. So, hopefully, I can repair some of the damage this year. I think I am just going to go slow and steady this year and not assume anything. I think we are going to have an awesome year. They say that the first day of class sets the tone. This is the first impression that students form of you. And I think I did a good job. I'm learning. This is my third year and I've learned a lot from the previous two years. I know what NOT to do, that's for sure. Bonus: I went into the neighboring teacher's room after school to say hi like I always do and he's like, "I don't know what you did but all the 9th graders in my seventh period were talking about how Ms. H is te best English teacher ever." I laughed and said, "Well, that's just because we have not started persuasive essays yet. Haha!" Cooper, my little student who used to make up jokes for me when I had bad days, stopped by and said hi today. A lot of kids from last year stopped by and said hi actually. It was a fun day. I'm in a great mood. The new cute gym teacher stopped me in the workroom to chat. Maybe school is what I needed after all.
Tomorrow we lay the adjective game. Yay.

So, yesterday, after my melodramatic, whiny bitch fest I posted, I called my mom to vent. I told her that I just wanted to do nothing and stay in bed all day and she said, "NO, do not do that. Force yourself to do something. Anything. Clean, draw, go somewhere, anything but force yourself to do it." So, I went upstairs and started putting together some of the furniture that has been laying around unacked forever and I ended getting my entire room unacked and set up and it felt so good to accomplish something! Then, my neighbor met me outside and we smoked and I vented and that made me feel even better. Sometimes, I just need to be a brat, I guess.