teacher blues.

I was told by a veteran teacher yesterday that teachers take some heavy beatdowns; both emotional and physical.

I couldn't agree more.

I didn't want to come on my blog and start talking about how horrible this job was, or that I feel like a bad teacher. I said from the beginning of this experience that I would never be "that TFA corps member." However, I must say that today has been that day.

It began as a normal TFA corps member day: in bed by 11, awake at 4:45 a.m., working on LP's by 5:30. It was a very normal day, in that respect, but other than that it just really carried that sense of inevitability that comes with these bad days.

I had a decent lesson plan for my 6th graders, and what I thought was a great one for my 7th graders. All was ok till the day began. First, I couldn't get my lesson plans to be exactly what I wanted: not only have I been feeling that I am not teaching alot of this content correctly, but that I am truly working myself to the limit. I hate this feeling that there is ALWAYS something more I should be doing.

After working my butt off like crazy for the whole morning, my seventh graders step into the classroom right after lunch. They are a difficult bunch of students, but I have felt that I was doing ok working with them.

For the entire period, they proceeded to tell me why they wished they had their last science teacher back and reminded me of all of my teaching flaws. (sharp little bunch) They continued the rants all through the period as they were working on a cell assignment I thought to be at least decently creative, but to them was difficult and confusing. They continued at every chance to tell me how hard stuff was made easy by their last teacher, and that I made everything more difficult.

What did I do? Ignored it, pretended as if they were just a bunch of 7th graders who didn't know what they were talking about. Unfortunately, they did and do.

I don't know what to do. My life is becoming increasingly more stressed, and I feel dumb for getting my feelings hurt by 12 year olds; problem is, I know they are right.

At this point, i'm working to make things better as much as I can, but as TFA might say...

"I've got some reflecting to do."

Mr. G