First Day, Second Year

With summer officially over in my head, things have turned back to teaching.

The first day of school is typically an easy one to deal with. There's meetings between the students and the principal, while I usually sit in on those or otherwise, I'm in my room deciding on what to do!

I had the fear that I was so unprepared for the first day -- but on the other hand, it wasn't so bad. As they say, the second year is usually easier than the first, and so far, they're right.

Of course, I've got some characters in my classes, but with my updated classroom management skills and being the wiser person that I am, I'm not really in the mood for anything pulled against me this year. Last year, I was quite the pushover. Now, they're getting a new Mr. Tony.

I basically laid the law down with these guys, as I took a few pages out of the new principal's book, who is very conservative in his way of administrating. I've come to the realization that I'm here to do a job to the best of my abilities. If the students don't like it, tough. It's my way and that's that.

My past experience through the summer has really taught me that a person shouldn't take much for granted. It's made me a wiser person, a more mature person -- making me see things in a new light. Although I doubt I will be in P-Town much longer (thinking about private sector-action, more on that later), I still have a job to do and I'm not going to let me students just "eek" by.

But, I'm still personable, hoping that I can still be approachable when a problem arises. I'm there for the students, doing what I can do to hope that these students succeed. I'm not going to sugar-coat anything.

It's just amazing reflecting on myself: how one person can change over a course of a year. It's extremely beneficial.