First thing first...
My name is Bri. I've just started teaching this year. I'm still working Tumblr out. I'm still working teaching out.
If someone asks me how I'm enjoying teaching so far, I have a fairly simple answer= loving it. Of course, the reality is a little more complex than that. Every day I go in, (hopefully) prepared, thinking 'I've got this... today is worked out'. Inevitably though, someone comes up to me at morning briefing and says, "ok, so today, period 3 & 4 have been swapped around for year 9, there's a meeting at lunchtime for the debating team you've got an extra period 5 and can you please email your draft exams to Jess* by the end of the day?" *sigh*
It's a balancing act. I don't mind, even enjoy, the chaos- most days. I'm also fairly sure that every teacher experiences these feelings, not merely newbies (to either the profession or the school), but everybody. It's difficult to keep it in perspective some days though and you fight to keep back a rising wave of panic at the sheer number of 'little' things you need to accommplish and keep track of day-to-day. Consequently, post-it notes and lists have become my new best friends...
I'm getting off track. It might sound as though I'm complaining and you're thinking 'how can she be enjoying this when she has just described how over-whelmed etc she can feel?'. Simple. It's a great job. There's so much that is under-rated about teaching. Even by other teachers. One of the other teachers in my office gave me his list of the great things about teaching that no-one ever mentions. They may seem like silly things, or inconsequential things to some people, but they have turned out to be very important to me in this new career.
1. You get to move around (makes a different to change environments- it is not a monotonous job)
2. You usually get to talk to over 100 people a day. For some, this may actually seem like a negative, but I find it invigorating and refreshing.
3. Nothing really goes according to plan. Again, could be taken as a negative, but it encourages you to be organised, but flexible.
4. You keep learning too. The kids are always teaching me new things and I am always reading a new book, trying a new style or method of teaching/learning, putting together a new resource, researching and finding new information.
5. It's fun. It's true.
I guess that wasn't a very comprehensive introduction. Just some of my first thoughts. With any luck, they'll become more focused. However, that will suffice as a first post. My 'toe-in-the-water' of blogging and posting...
*names changed, or not referring to any one person.
