30 First Days

// August 21st, 2009 // Comments, Features

I (Jarred) am lucky to have a great support system in my new school, and wanted to see what the first day of school feels like for a true veteran of the field. Doreen has been an amazing team leader for me so far, and has welcomed any question or problem I’ve had with open arms. I know people like her are not in every school, but I wish they could so every new or pre-service teacher could see what it means to find a great “fit” in a school. Here is Doreen’s version of first day jitters:

I’m in such good spirits today! It’s Friday and it’s been a great start to the school year.
As always, I spent several sleepless nights before the first day of school. Do I have everything ready? How will I do things differently this year? What more can I do to make school fun and exciting? One would think when I’ve had 30 first days of school I’d feel more at ease with it, but the “butterflies” come each year. I guess I’m glad they do. I think it means that I’m still excited about what I do. I must admit that the job never gets any easier and actually seems much more difficult than when I started. But I still walk out of school each day, glad for the job I have, for the opportunities I have to make a difference, and for the outstanding people I work with. At least I feel like that almost every day!

Thanks Doreen. I encourage anyone else that wants to share their first day/week stories with us here (hint-hint CT’s!!). As a pre-service and now a service teacher, it is always nice to know the nerves never go away!

10 Responses to “30 First Days”

Dale says:

September 1, 2009 at 8:29 am

Doreen,
thanks for your thoughts, I know for me personally it is important to see someone voice their excitement for the first day, especially after teaching for awhile. I know that is something that I will need to hear! Have a good year and we hope you share more with us!
Kiley K says:

October 17, 2009 at 9:04 pm

Hey guys! I have a blog now! How do I add it to your site?
admin says:

November 3, 2009 at 2:42 pm

Hmm. It all depends on how you set it up. Email us the link to your blog, and we will find a way to link it up/integrate it. It’s great to hear from you!
admin says:

November 3, 2009 at 8:01 pm

Got you linked under our friends in the right hand column, great to hear about your teaching. Thanks
D
Chris says:

November 28, 2009 at 3:16 pm

This comment sums up why I’m going into education as well as anything I’ve ever read or reason I’ve ever given. Seems like when you’re a college guy and you tell people you’re majoring in education, you first get that semi-shock. Next comes how they admire you for wanting to teach, and lastly (and most true to their authentic feelings) they state how I will never make much money. Often times people get caught up in that aspect of teaching, but forget that if you’re doing something you love, you never have to really “work” a day in your life. So many people complain about their jobs and fall into a rut of routine, but it’s refreshing to read a real experienced teacher prove how rewarding and exciting it is, even after that initial surge of excitement may be gone. Thank you for that
David Changstrom says:

December 10, 2009 at 2:03 pm

I can understand the feeling of uncertainty going into a new school year. I’m an education major, and one of my part-time jobs is head coaching a middle school wrestling team. The first season, I had no idea on what to do, or how the athletes would view me. After all, I’m not all that far removed from where they are academically when you take a step back and look at it.
Fortunately, those butterflies seem to serve to make us over-prepare and think through situations to the point where we might actually be better off.
Brock says:

March 16, 2010 at 11:36 am

I’m a Freshman in college and majoring in Elementary Education. This last semester I started my first practicum and had no idea what it would be like going into it. The first day I have to admit I was a little unsure if becoming a teacher was what I wanted to do. I soon found out that it was more then what i wanted to do I have a passion for it. My first week in the class was just trying to figure out all the students’ names and figuring out my place in the classroom. Everything was going good and I learned so much from my teacher in the classroom. She’s taught me many different tactics like: some teaching styles, disciplinary methods, and ways to give praise. Also she’s given me the experience that I would never have changed. As a college student I know that most of us hate waking up in the mornings, but for my practicum i have to wake up every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:15 a.m. At the beginning of the semester I hated the idea of this, but now every morning I look forward to waking up and going into the classroom to see the students and their energetic caring personalities. This experience to me is worth more than anything I have done before because it has shown me that I have a passion for something that I’m doing and I’m so excited to further that. Another thing that has fueled my passion to become a teacher is that my teacher in the classroom has told me that I have a natural ability that some people have to work for. This more than anything has made my decision to become a teacher strengthen in me.
Ashley says:

April 10, 2010 at 7:27 pm

I am a sophomore elementary education major at UNL. I had a practicum last semester and have one this fall. Yes the first day was kind of made me nervous but i love making first impressions. You only get one chance to make them so why not just jump into it and make the best one you can. Everyone that i worked with said something about how i jumped into working with the kids when i first got there which helped me in the long run. I love working with kids and can’t wait to do it everyday.
Rachel says:

April 30, 2010 at 10:58 am

I love to hear that you are so enthused about the beginning of the year! I completely agree that having a support system that truly cares about you and your success makes starting something new much easier. I’m still in college, but the first day is always a mixture of being nervous and excited. I always hope that I am in the right classroom, or building for that matter, and have the right books. I hope your year went well for you! Now you can spend the summer gearing up for the next one.
Luke says:

May 4, 2010 at 9:29 pm

This is exactly why i want to be a teacher. Keeping things interesting and serving the students to my fullest potential is the most important thing I can do as a teacher. Im glad to hear that there are other people who have the same beliefs as me, because i have had my fair share of teachers who are just there for a pay check.