Culture Shock

This week has been quite a time of adjustment for me. I went back to work and the kids went back to school. It is always difficult going back to work when you have had over two months off. Getting up at 6:00 AM every day has been a real adjustment, too. However, It's nothing like last year when I had to get up at 5:00 AM and sometimes earlier.

Thursday and Friday were the first student days. There are always adjustments to be made on these days. Lunch always runs over and afternoon classes have to be adjusted. That is just the nature of going back to school. I have never been in a school where lunch actually ended on time the first few days. It is all a part of the process.

The culture shock for me came with the students. After teaching in an inner-city school, my new school seems SO DIFFERENT! The first difference is in the attitudes of the students. I have students eager to learn! They want to know what we will be doing. They want to listen. They want to be taught! I think the major reason for this difference in attitude is that most of these students don't have to worry as much about where their next meal is going to come from, who is going to beat them, or if there will be a shooting in their neighborhood or house tonight.

Another culture shock for me has been the facility. The school is only a few years old. I have supplies! There is equipment to be used. There are science lab kits, microscopes, slides, chemicals, and MANY other things available to me in the STOREROOM off my classroom. I also have funds available to purchase more things. I don't have to stress as much about what I am going to do for labs or how to pay for it.

Yet another surprise for me was that I am not having to check the kids for dress code every day. Of course, with any school, there are guidelines to be followed. However, I am not having to make sure shirts are tucked in, belts are on, pants are pulled up, and the proper colors are being worn. It is so surprising to look at kids and see the variety of clothes they can wear to school, just because they want to.

I literally felt like crying yesterday because it felt so simple! Discipline? Seriously, when I asked the students to settle down, they did. When I asked the students to do an index card with information, they did it and the room fell silent. Today, I gave a writing assignment. They did it. They didn't complain about having to write in Science. They stayed quiet while they worked. I honestly didn't know how to handle myself.

At lunch yesterday, I actually took a picture of my room and sent it to Chris because the room was still clean! There was nothing in the floor except a small slip of paper. These children are respectful! I had one boy run back in today and grab the three sheets of paper that had fallen out of his notebook before he walked out of the room. They push their chairs back under as they leave! This is so amazing to me. Last year, I had to clean my room before the custodians could clean my room. There was always a HUGE pile of paper balls, broken pencils, colored pencils, etc. that had been left in the floor.

I am not trying to glorify my new job. I am not trying to make it sound like it is so much better than what I had before. I just feel so blessed. I realize that there will be days that I find difficult. I realize that there will be students who push my buttons or test limits. I know that I will be just as exhausted after a long day of teaching as I was (trust me, I felt it today!), but, I am just so thankful to be given the opportunity that I have been given. I love to teach and it is all the better to be able to do it with a willing audience :D