Oh my. Talk about a crazy past few days. After much calling and pressing, Friday at 4:00pm I found out that I am going to be a Kindergarten teacher at Lenora B Smith Elementary School.
Here were my thoughts:
Friday, 4:00pm: Shock.
Friday, 4:02pm: Anger and frustration.
Friday, 4:02-5:00pm: Sadness, anger, lots of crying.
Overnight thoughts....after calling lots of wonderful encouragers and talking out my anger and frustrations and reservations with some good support friends, I am doing much better. Although, still a little frustrated that I spent a summer planning and creating my mentality for 5th graders...I am seeing some great benefits to being a Kindergarten teacher.
Reasons I am excited?? about being a Kindergarten teacher
(I am still having some hesitations and doubts of my ability right now...)
#1) I will be the first thing these students see of education.
#2) It is said that everything you need to know from school, you learn in Kindergarten.
#3) I have a great opportunity to begin molding some key mentalities of generosity, tolerance, kindness, and peace into moldable minds.
#4) I will not be tempted to "teach for the test" with the FCAT (big Florida state tests with lots of pressure and incredibly high-stakes) as Kindergarten does not take the FCAT.
#5) I can be a little crazy and the kids won't make fun of me!
#6) I will be able to use my Haitian Creole with the kids when teaching beginning literacy, where another teacher may not have been able to meet this need of the students.
#7) I can introduce the students to wonderful things such as art, music, social studies, and science, and I will be able to see their fresh eyes!
#8) Kindergarteners are cute!
#9) I think I just became of mother of a classroom of children.
#10) Teaching Kindergarten will definitely give me some patience practice! (much needed and often prayed for!)
Reservations
~I do not know how to teach beginning literacy.
~I do not have a lot of patience.
~I do not want to turn Kindergarten into babysitting or activity driven teaching.
~I am nervous.
~I have lots of planning to do, as I feel I am starting back at scratch.
So, God, thanks for answering my prayer for patience! Oh how funny it is when God answers prayers in ways you do not expect.
Lyrics I'm Humming:
ABCs
7 comments:
That is awesome that you thought of all those great things that these kids, and you, will get out of being a kindergarden teacher!! Those kids are so lucky having someone as smart, caring, loving, and as beautiful as you to be the first thing that introduces them into an education. You are amazing
Oh Megan---what can I say!!!!!! You CAN do it---I just know you can!!!!!! It ain't gonna be easy, but you will probably fall in love with those little people!!!! They will love you and they will hug you and they will want to tell you everything---every day! And they will dance around and they will chatter and they will love doing the things you have planned for them----and their attention span is oh so short, so you have to change gears every little bit.I just know it will be ok!!!! I do understand your frustration--oh dear-----but it WILL be ok!!!!!!!
Love you lots----
Grandma
Megan,
First about the crying - I know that those paper trails can make you cry. I felt the same way running around France and I still get charges on my stupid bank account that I don't understand, but I have to keep open because I am waiting for hundreds of Euros in insurance refunds that were supposed to have been processed long ago. I'm pretty sure I've cried, or at least been really, really mad, a few times. You are under a ton of adjustments (it's a little like being a Freshman again, but there is no senior down the hall to point you in the right direction), so what you are going through, while awful, is probably normal. I can understand your frustration with everything being turned upside-down with having to teach kindergarten now. Your maturity shows though in the way that you can view both the positives and the challenges of the change. I don't worry that you won't be able to tackle the job. Sure there will probably be days when some kids pee their pants or do everything but sit down and be quiet, but you'll get through it. You do have a great opportunity to actually listen to kids that young: how often do the rest of us get that chance? And if you wanted to do this job to make a contribution and make a difference, I can guarantee that you'll be doing that as a kindergartener teacher. I hope that life gets happier for you and that those kids are a huge blessing to you. You're in my prayers.
Brittany
Hey sweet Miss Megan, The Wesley's are thinking about you and saying our prayers for you. Everytime I read Ally's blog, funny...I think of you too. Hope you are doing well. You will make a GREAT, WONDERFUL teacher...those lucky kids. You WILL definately make an impact on their lives!! Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. Maybe over the holidays you and Ally can see each other. She'll be back soon, I can't wait.
I've spent my Baylor career learning how to teach beginning literacy, and for all the complicated materials and research Ive read, its not that difficult. Teach them letters and sounds over and over and over in a new way everyday. They don't need to learn to read so much as they need to learn to like it. You have an incredibly important job, but knowing you, it won't be that hard. You could make a lecture on worm anatomy fun and interesting. You are an amazing person and those kids are so incredily lucky. I wish you had ben my kindergarten teacher! I love you, Megan Rapp.
Megan,
I am so impressed that you made it through your first wk of teaching!! When I was student teaching in DMS public schools (a sch name I cannot mention) in the 5th grade, I had several students who would not SIT down in their seats, several who would shove their books to the floor, one dad who wandered in the school drunk at 2 pm in the afternoon, very low achievement and expectations, and I was fit to be tied. So I had the idea to start this rhythm class--and I bought these 1" diameter dowel rods and a bunch of contact sticky shelf paper to decorate two sticks per student. They had to EARN those sticks as well as the contact paper. The kids who earned them started class each day with rhythm and repeat patterns which was so much fun! Soon, I was outclassed by their complex musical memory (even though they could not remember multiplication tables or rule of the English language!). SO you find a unique way to HOOK them...and you can always find a local lumber store (although there is not a Beisser Lumber Co!) for some cheap dowel rods!
Love you, sweetie!
Aunt Sal
diagree with #8, definately agree with #10! best of luck with the surgery. ~Dog trainer and babysitter (aka your fav Kindergarten teacher- Ani)
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