MowryJournal.com   Life's Passions

After a grueling 12 weeks in my own classroom, I’ve put some passing thoughts together.

I call them “passing” thoughts because I haven’t had space in my brain for anything more than a passing thought. So here they are…my disjointed, unorganized, all-encompassing passing teacher thoughts.

1. This is really, really hard work. Disguised as easy work. (Don’t tell me our work schedule means we can’t complain. I might have to kill you.)

2. I sleep (usually at 9:00 pm) because I MUST.

3. This is expensive. Who knew classes needed so many things?!? How did it end up being $600 worth of things?!

4. If I didn’t have so many meetings about my students and what I must do for my students, I might have more time to plan fun things for my students. But I need the meetings and I need the information, so this is a pickle.

5. Why did I choose to train for my first marathon right now?

6. Alarm clock is set for 4:00 am.

7. I care too much.

8. I get grumpy easily.

9. Common Core.

10. If you love me, bring me potato chips. All of the potato chips.

11. Kids are hilarious.

12. What can we do to motivate our students? Why don’t they want to be here? Why won’t they try? Is it something I’m doing wrong?

13. Is it always my fault?

14. I miss cooking at night.

15. Sometimes, changing everything you thought is not only a good idea, but necessary. Teaching must be fluid. The class rules can change. The teacher’s ideas can change. The students can change. There is nothing in teaching that can’t change. Maybe it won’t happen now. Maybe it will. Maybe it will happen all at once, or maybe it will happen over many years. But the biggest thing I’ve felt is that the teaching profession is always changing. There is always a new teaching technique. There’s always something that can help out students gain the skills they need to be successful in college. In 8th grade, we are honing those skills. 8th grade. That’s how important college is. And yet…does our society need everyone to go to college? (If you’ve read my first post, you know how I feel about this.)

So I’ve taken this huge step in my life, experienced this huge change…and it just keeps going. I must learn to be fluid. I must learn to accept change. This is my path and my life. My passing thoughts.