The 'hustle': 1st month check-in

Damn.


It's been a month since the 1st day of school. It kicked my ass in many ways. I've been trying to figure out why this first month of teaching seemed more challenging than my other two years of teaching. I thought teaching was supposed to get "easier" by the 3rd year. Apparently I feel that I got worse...or something like that. I find myself lesson planning up until the bell rings... I find myself making copies during lunch...I find myself lesson planning to the end of lunch... I just find myself STRAIGHT HUSTLIN.

Day after day I've been reflecting why my days feel like I've been constantly trying to pull myself out of quicksand. Day after day I reflect upon why I feel like I'm not teaching to my potential. Day after day I reflect upon why it feels like "learning" is not happening in my classroom....Day after day I reflect upon what makes this first month different from my other "first month" the past two years.... and all I can come up with is that I friggin teach 4-5 different subjects. This is insane.

I start off my day with a 9th grade advisory class where I teach the adorable young "fresh out of middle school" students "the 'path' to a successful high school career." I feel like this is a crucial class because I've noticed that the 9th graders really do take in everything the teacher says as gold. I am ultra-conscious of "setting a good example" for these students... I am ultra-conscious of following through with my instructions and discipline...bc I do not want them to cont. high school thinking they can slack off. This class I really have to make sure I'm on point. Basically, I have a different "AD-ult" mind set with the 9th graders.


Then within the 5mins. passing period I have to switch my mindframe from 9th grade teacher mode to 10th grade Honors World History. This is where I now need to go from "life skills" mode to "critical problem-posing the world" mode. I defn. need to meet my students needs. They signed up for honors. They want to be challenged. They want to think critically about the world. And we do. And it's great.

Then within the 5mins. passing period, I switch to my "regular" World History class (x2), which of course I continue the "critical problem-posing the world" mode, but now I deal with apathy, lack of motivation, silence, blank-stares, and slight behavior problems. So I need to switch it up and throw in some 'disciplinarian' mode. grr.

Then lunch comes along. And now I'm preparing/lesson planning/making copies for my AP Gov't class and Women Studies class.

Then AP Govt begins right after lunch. Then I have to go from global to local...It's defn. exciting to teach AP Govt during the election season. It's just challenging to keep up with everyday politics in the elections... at the same time finding ways to integrate the elections to understanding the way government and politics work within the election framework. YES. it's cool to discuss the debates...to discuss the issues...to discuss the candidates... but how do I go about explaining/integrating media biases, the electoral college system, primary election system, why the bill failed in the house (structure of congress)... etc. etc....as we talk about the updates of the elections? sure it is defn. more exciting and relatively easier in the season, but at the same time, there is NO TIME. we can literally sit in the classroom and discuss our thoughts and analysis of the financial crisis, mortgage crisis, etc. etc. which can take the whole entire period.. BUT... WHERE IN THE WORLD WAS I ABLE TO FIT IN teaching the framework of governance in which all these topics fall under? EH. HUSTLIN. PLUS... they need to know this for their AP exam...

Then I have 5mins. to switch my mind set to WOMYN'S STUDIES mode. This of course is waaaaay different from any of the classes I teach. This is a deep/complex course. This is a course none of the hs students ever took or will ever take in their lives. Now I must be ultra gender sensitive... be able to discuss feminist issues.... deconstruct misogyny, sexism, objectification, etc. etc. ... I LOVE IT.. But i realized.... that it's challenging to be switching mindsets and roles over and over everyday...

I feel like my students are receiving the short-end of the stick this year. I will not give up though. (Sounds cheesy).... But I refuse to be defeated with my schedule. But at the same time, this is INSANE and no teacher should be teaching this many subjects.


I hope and believe that these next months will get better...and I will figure out to work with my schedule.. and not feel like these multiple persons....and sleep early.. or get a good night's rest.. I hope to feel one.... like all these subjects just work together seamlessly... But again, these subjects bring in different maturity and behavior levels... which will always offest things.. ahhh...