Being nervous in front of the students will go away in time.
The first day I taught during student teaching, I was tripping
all over my words! I'm only in my second full year of teaching,
and each time I get in front of a new group for the first time,
I can't help but be anxious. But, once you get into the swing
of things, you wonder why you were ever scared in the first
place. Does that make sense?

Being firm and assertive is also difficult in the beginning.
It's like you know you have to be, but you don't know how to
be. I feel much better about this year than my last. There were
times when I dreaded going to my student teaching school, and
then there were times when I dreaded going to the school where
I was a teacher's temporary replacement. And then there was
last year where I would look at a calendar and cry at how many
months there were until June.

But!!! It's weird. When it was time for winter vacation or
spring vacation, it was like a part of me was missing. I missed
the kids and my colleagues. And just this past summer, I could
not WAIT until I got to go back. When I walked into the
building for the first time after a couple months, I was oddly
comforted. I was really happy to be back. I was SO nervous the
night before the first day.

But after that, I was totally fine. I really enjoy teaching
this year. I feel more confident in front of the kids. I see
that a lot of learning is going on. I love being at the school.
I'd rather be at the school than at home (this probably sounds
CRAZY), but that's how I feel this year. At least for now. ;-)

So, anyway, I would say what you are feeling is completely
normal and to give it some time before you make the decision to
get out of teaching. Now, I'm not saying you'll look forwards
to Mondays like I do, but I do think that with time, you'll
feel more confident about your choice to be a teacher - if
teaching is what you really want to do.

Good luck!

On 10/16/09, jamie wrote:
> Hi, i am in my fifth week of student teaching working with
> LD students in a push-in model (full inclusion). My
> experience thus far has been like a roller coaster ride. I
> feel as though i am always on the go. I am jump from one
> class to the next and back to the orginal classroom. My
> cooperating teacher and i are not always on the same page.
> At times i feel as though she tells me one thing, but hten
> does another. Recently, i have been asked to teach 15
> minutes lessons at the end of the day. I go home and plan
> lessons submit them to my cooperating teacher. When i go
> to teach i become very nervous and feels as though as soon
> as i am up there i forget everything i planned for. I find
> myself then shooting from the hip. I have been told that i
> need to be more firm with the students, and assertive. I
> am not disagreeing with that, but i am having a difficult
> time finding a balance. It's making me doubt my career
> choice. Are these completely normal feelings?

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