Monthiversary/First Day of School
Today marks a couple milestones. First, is it the monthiversary of my blog. I've managed to post every day since July 25th, which was a big goal I set for myself at the end of the summer. It's also my first day of school. Today I'll finally begin the year that has been in the back of my mind since I was old enough not to want to be a zookeeper when I grew up. It seems surreal that I'll actually be doing it.
I'm nervous and excited. I've told myself again and again how I want to carry myself. How I want to interact with the students. I know that if I walk with integrity and convey an earnest love for what I'm teaching, then if I fail it will be because teaching is not my vocation. We'll see what the first day brings. As prepared as I am for the exhaustion, I don't think there's any way I can be prepared for experiencing my first day with the middle schoolers.
I love that some of these kids will be in my class for three hours a day. All 7th and 8th graders at CMCA have two English classes per day and about 15 of my students will be back again for Latin.
Here's how my room looks at the moment. If all goes well the blank spaces on the wall will soon be filled with poems that we read and discuss in class, artwork from the Latin students as they illustrate vocabulary words, and the quotations which we will discuss at the start of each class.
So, think of me today. Remember how your 8th grade year went and let me know what to look out for, what to do, and what not to do. I'll owe about half of you a call when I'm done for the day. Hopefully I'll still be standing when it's over.
9 comments:
Let this post go down in history as the day the great Mr. Zach Good began his career. I have taken a screenshot that I will have autographed for when he has achieved legendary status.
I do not recall Eight grade very well, but I do recall the best teacher I had: a young Mr. Robert Fix. Above all, he treated me like an adult. He asked the classroom for advice, was honest, unassuming, and unafraid to admit mistakes. He shared his personal life with us, and was passionate about English and writing.
He reacted big to the tiny surprises we had in life at that time, and was unafraid to pull a student aside and get to know them.
I know you're going to be great man. Mr Fix wasn't until I was in 10th grade, even more set in my ways, but still he sticks out in my mind so profoundly that I remain in email contact with him.
COPLAS!!
dad, your first day will be awesome, I just know it.
i'm thinking about you today... and cody says to return his calls or he's leaving the family.
:)
You'll change their lives zach; there's no doubt in my mind.
A great classroom and a great teacher, these kids are going to be great.
Happy Monthiversary! I hope you keep up the trend because I really want to hear how the first day of teaching middle school is.
Damn. This was a blog title that easily could have been a reference to an awesome Pink Floyd song, only to be wasted on a Hootie and the Blowfish track. There is no emoticon capable of communicating my sorrow.
Also, I'd suggest not sending them off to Florida at the end of the year.
Its crazy the adventures we've all gotten ourselves into...yours sounds very frightening to me! I hope you have a great first day- I think the only thing that can be said about middle schoolers is...well...good luck. I'm sure you'll do great. and, by the way, I've been tuning in to your blog and am finding it somewhat addicting. Keep it up.
From what I remember from the 8th grade is.... I don't think I really remember anything. I thought it was a continuation of the 7th grade and vastly unimportant. It wasn't high school, nothing counted.
I guess you'd be a good teacher...(This pun was brought to you by my lack of synonyms) Though, I really never payed attention to them until all I wanted to do was just coast out of school. Hopefully you'll teach them enough so that you seem important. Though, I doubt anyone will appreciate you unless they are some weird kind of geek who loves school(or bearded bespeckled teachers(I'm gonna go with that joke even though it isn't a laughing matter(Though, I think most of the time I don't go for laughs, I go for smiles).).).
Just do your best, that is what I've always heard people tell me and they've always let me down. I believe that perhaps the advise wasn't meant for me, but was instead sent to me for me to dish it out with sarcasm and on the rare occasion sincerity.
Have fun, or something like that.
Thanks for the encouragement guys, it really does mean a lot to me. If it wasn't for the relationships I've had I would have neither the courage nor the ability to interact with these kids in a meaningful way.
New post is up with a little bit about how yesterday went.
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