I Really Do Want To Do This

     So, this will just be a short post. I just wanted to give a brief synopsis of life so far. I've started teaching officially, it's seriously insane so far. The school I am at is definitely a challenge. It's located in the ghetto and a lot of the kids are hard to cope with. I do think I will be learning a lot about classroom management. Starting in the middle of the year was harder than I thought. Although I had it pretty well, my kids still has about five different teachers before me. This made discipline difficult to say the least. I still consider myself a first year teacher... Even though I've been at the school for an entire semester. It felt like it wasn't quite MY class. I seriously cannot wait to begin fresh next year and be able to set my own rules and boundaries. So many things will be different. I didn't realize how hard it was to be an authority figure. It is just so much easier to say "fuck it" and let the kids slide but, I know this is not good for the students. I hate to admit it, but when kids are sleeping or talking or on their phones it's almost easier to let them continue and ignore them than to deal with the fight. I really do have high hopes for next year though. I think being able to set the rules from the beginning will be a huge help. The teacher before me was seriously lax. I wish I had come in stronger and more confident. I don't really think my kids learned much this year; besides hyperbole, it seems to be the only thing they remember. This makes me feel mildly good about the semester... At least they learned  something.
     So much for this being short... Over the summer I hope to update more, perhaps even add in some lesson plans... There are a few I am very proud of! There really is nothing like two months of planning time (one needs some time off). Finally, I understand why teachers need time off, these last few weeks have been the most exhausting of my life. The kids are restless and I have nothing new for them, I can't add anything to the final, and we are all just punting down the days. Cheers to a whole new year, new curriculum, new staff, and a new last name! Time for bed.