First Day of School

One down, 179 more to go (sorry, that is teacher talk). Day ONE of my career at North Canton came and went.

What a ride.

Up at 5:30. At school by 6:30. Home around 4:00.

Just one of many 9 1/2 hour days.

To be honest though, it went really well. I felt comfortable and "with-it" for most of the day. The hardest part was actually collecting all the forms, fees, etc. The kids were very well mannered and seem very intelligent and eager to learn. Hopefully, the other classes prove to be the same. This week is the awkward getting to know you stage. Not much learning, but a lot of organization and "here's how it's gonna be" talk. Next week is when we start to ease into the material. That is the easy part.

I love NC schools. Surprisingly, it is a very Christian-oriented school. Many of the administratiors and teachers are practicing Christians and I can see how that ties into the school being so highly rated. It's not because they teach the Gospel, but it is because the school follows its Christian values.

My schedule is awesome too:

Homeroom
Period 1 - English
Period 2 - English
Period 3 - English
Period 4 - Team Planning
Period 5 - Lunch
Period 6 - Personal Planning
Period 7 - Academic Assist
Period 8 - English
Period 9 - English

That two hour chunk in the middle of the day is AWESOME! You can get so much accomplished during that time. My team is very cool. I am the only male and the youngest by at least 10 years. As a whole, there are 5 male teachers in the entire sixth grade. It is nice to finally be with some testosterone. Every Friday our team even goes out to lunch! Even though I have a TON of stuff to do, it is comforting to know that I have people around me to lean on for support.

I really took my job for granted at SPJ. I was bored out of my mind and lost my creative edge because I was teaching something I didn't want to be teaching. I feel like I could have done a lot better. However, Hoover has re-energized me. I am no longer the slacker I let myself become.

Teaching is an unbelievable gift. The relationships that are built. The way the kids look up to you and admire you. The way you see growth on an everyday basis. The way you can reach kids that no one else thought were reachable. Every day is a new challenge and new opportunity. One of the reasons I wanted to become a teacher is because I hate consistency. My job is never the same.

Never.

Thank you God for allowing me and trusting me with this gift.

If I teach for the normal 30 years (I'll be retired at 52!), I will have had a direct impact on about 3,800 kids. That of course, is if I teach around 130 kids each school year.

How cool is that?