Well, we've been in school now for about a month--or 23 days of actual school. It's amazing where my class is now from the beginning of those 23 days. They are more solid in our routines. Our transition times are better, they are showing signs of academic progress.
They are enthusiastic about learning and that's why I love teaching second graders. They get excited about new things, they'll work hard for a sticker, they come up and give you hugs, and can be taught independence. I think by mid October we'll be running like a well-oiled machine. That's when I can take a breath....and sit back and watch them do as they are expected.
My job is far from over, though. I have over a year's worth of curriculum to teach them in a year. The district has our daily, weekly and monthly curricula to be taught all laid out. It just doesn't account for the lack of hours in the day. We've already taken out anything that doesn't fit the CAP. (that's the document we all follow) It sounds great to have everything laid out like that, but it doesn't allow for any reteaching when the kids don't get it...or interruptions such as fire drills or assemblies--or God forbid, fun things! When those occur, you are behind. It just seems like you are always trying to catch up.
This document says that students are entitled to a "guaranteed and viable curriculum" by Jeffco. That means that you could walk into any 2nd grade class in the district and we should be teaching the same things in math, reading, writing, etc. This sounds good...but if you walk into any 2nd grade classroom across the district you will find very different situations in each. We are not all the same. Some have very impacted populations that need lots of intense interventions just to get them to the level they should have started at. Others may have students whom can move quickly through the curriculum. Usually, we have both ends of the spectrum and are expected to provide individual students with what they need. That is what we all want to do...hope to do. However, reality steps in--and you do the best you can with the resources you have.
It gets overwhelming. I don't know how new teachers do it. I've been around for 28 years--and I still feel overwhelmed at times. The meetings alone keep your schedule filled. We have staff meetings every Wednesday. Team meetings every week. Meetings with our coach twice a month, we have a book study we are doing and meet monthly for, we have professional development in writing every month. Those are just the planned ones. Then there are the meetings that just seem to pop up out of no where. (parents, or principal, etc.) With all of these meetings, it's amazing that we can get anything done in our classrooms at all. I guess that's why I'm there until 5 or 6pm most days.
It's this time of year I look longingly back at the summer, when my time was my own and the only meeting I had was with my bike on a long path. I'll keep plugging along, and it will get easier, I hope. Until then....if you can't reach me, I'm probably in a meeting.
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