First Week of School

My first week of school was quite eventful!

On Monday I was met with the faces of Juniors and Seniors eagerly anticipating a year of learning...and that made my day. It was a smooth day of operation as syllabi were distributed, rules and expectations were reviewed simultaneously with firmness and humor. Student interaction proved to be golden as students related their unique life stories and personal descriptions.

On Tuesday, I encountered a student who entered my classroom purposely tardy and watched this student's disposition morph from one of being surly and opportunistic in creating humorous mischief to sitting in anticipation of new information to learn and share with others. I smiled within as I noticed the change. I wanted to be able to reach especially that student who seemed as though he secretly yearned to be successful in the classroom, but previously resorted to being the class clown. An earthquake interrupted my 4th period class, but my students listened to and follow the directions and students were dismissed from school efficiently a few minutes early.

Wednesday, an unexpected day off from work, was restful as I visited the newly opened Martin L. King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

Thursday, was a day of diagnostic testing as students were exposed to psychological concepts and expressed their interest through probing questions. Very impressed, I was!

And then on Friday, as teachers and students mentally prepared for Hurricane Irene over the weekend, the tasks of diagnostic testing and the issuance of textbooks were top priority.

Three meetings were attended, lesson planning was completed, and preliminary organization was further developed. All in all, this week was rewarding as the shine of anticipation in the eyes of my students sent a surge of energy through my psyche...causing me to "believe I'll run on to see what the end's going to be..."