Re: Coping After Winter Break

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Coping After Winter Break

by Daisy

Jan 4, 2014

I am a first year teacher dreading the return from winter break. I am not only returning to a town far away from home, but to a town with nothing but farmland, Walmart, and meth labs. I am returning to what I fear will be disgruntled fifth-graders who will be dragging their feet in as much as I will. Am I building it up in my head? What am I actually in for when school resumes on Monday? How can I cope with this sinking-running feeling?

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learning to teach I, too, am a new teacher. This is my second year, and I can relate to your comment about the sinking feeling of returning after vacation. Even though I still have lots to learn, the second year is much, much better than the first one. Maybe it will help to think about what a gift your presence is for students who haven't experienced the world beyon...See More

Jan 4, 2014

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Sara On 1/04/14, Daisy wrote: > I am a first year teacher dreading the return from winter > break. I am not only returning to a town far away from home, > but to a town with nothing but farmland, Walmart, and meth > labs. I am returning to what I fear will be disgruntled > fifth-graders who will be dragging their feet in as much as > I...See MoreOn 1/04/14, Daisy wrote: > I am a first year teacher dreading the return from winter > break. I am not only returning to a town far away from home, > but to a town with nothing but farmland, Walmart, and meth > labs. I am returning to what I fear will be disgruntled > fifth-graders who will be dragging their feet in as much as > I will. Am I building it up in my head? What am I actually > in for when school resumes on Monday? How can I cope with > this sinking-running feeling?

My first year of teaching I felt like I was drowning - that's the best word for it. I had so much to do - every single day a new lesson plan and no 'bank' of activities in my head. We start from scratch and it's a lot of work - and on top of that, we're learning to manage a classroom and the paperwork and the parents.

It's a huge amount of work and without breaks from it like Christmas break and spring break I couldn't have done it. My first year of teaching I went to bed about 2 AM every night and was up at 6:15.

All kids are different - my first year was in 5th grade too. You might like teaching better if you were nearer to home or lived in a community that felt more like home. You're back - I'm late with my response - but I never found my 5th graders unhappy to be back. They get bored at home... they usually like being around each other and like the drama of their interactions. Who's talking to who, who likes who etc.

I worked hard my first year of teaching and every year to put some light-hearted fun into every day for them. I don't believe school should be an odious experience. There's enough in the school day that is naturally not fun and enough in the school day that just runs counter to the nature of children. Kids have energy and short attention spans but school asks them to sit still and pay attention to small details for lengthy periods of time.

It sounds like you could use some fun in your day too. Start a checker tournament. Give them a cartoon and ask them to write a sentence that goes with it. Or have a kid change one thing about their clothes - a very small thing - and then ask if the class can figure out what was changed - that builds good skills of visual detail and the kids enjoy it. Teach them charades. 15 minutes of fun at the end of the day or right after lunch can boost everyone's spirits.

And count down the days to spring break. Halfway between winter and spring break have a 'half-way there' event. >

Jan 6, 2014

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