Day 1

Chaos. Pure chaos.

That may be the only possible way to describe my first full day of teaching.

Be flexible, they said. Ok, I’m flexible. So it’s fine when I can’t get a print-out of my roster because the attendance lady doesn’t know how to work the system. I’ll make a sign-in sheet – it’s cool. It’s ok when I received the bell schedule for today and – surprise! – instead of having all 8 periods, we’re having an “A” day and having periods 1-4, plus advisory sessions. That’s fine – each class is scheduled to be 1 hour long – just the right amount of time to go over rules, expectations, etc.

But when advisory lasts 30 minutes longer than expected, and then you make 1st period last for TWO hours, that’s when it gets a little tough.

Luckily, my 1st period is relatively well-behaved. I worked hard on investment, then winged it with an article I wasn’t planning on doing until the next day. Not enough clear-expectation setting, but it worked out.

Then they come on to make what was probably the 5th announcement of the day (oh boy, and this was only the beginning): we’re skipping 2nd period and going to 3rd period.

Figures that 2nd period is my planning period.

“Lucky” me, my floor does B lunch. What does that mean? That means my kids come to me, then leave for 30 minutes to eat lunch, then come back to me, effectively breaking off any kind of rhythm I have set. 3rd period – a little rowdier, but we pull through it. With no fewer than 6 more announcements, with the same, slow, monotonous voice, giving us the same information an unnecessary number of times.

“Please pardon the interruption. The bell you just heard is the A lunch tardy bell. Do not dismiss your class. I repeat…”

“Please pardon the interruption. B lunch teachers, please wrap up your class. In 5 minutes, we will ring the bell for you to release your students. I repeat…”
“Please pardon the interruption. We are ringing the bell for B lunch teachers to release their students. I repeat…”

Then, for some reason, they decide to have the kids go back to their 2nd period classes before going to 4th period. 4th period was only 20 minutes long. I don’t even finish calling roll and inserting names into my seating chart before the bell rings and we’re back in advisory session.

BUT I survive.

And one important lesson I learned today: Never ask your students for a nickname, or what they would like to be called. Because of this, I am now calling one student Hulk. Hulk helps me quiet the class down though, so I like him.