I'm beginning to feel like a veteran teacher. I have been at the same school for five years now. I know the ropes, the ins and outs of everything from the duty schedule to the curriculum to fixing the copier when it's jammed. So why do I still get nervous before the first day of school. Every year I spend endless hours getting my classroom ready, and getting everything organized for the first day. And every year the night before the first day that students show up I barely sleep. Is this normal?? Does this ever go away???
Things are a little different for me this year. My classroom has moved, I have a new team teacher, and I am teaching a new subject, but I'm still not sure that these changes should warrant the nerves I begin to feel as the first day of school approaches. I don't think I ever felt like this as a student in school. I know I used to get excited and probably got a little anxious, but I'm pretty sure I never had any sleepless nights before the first day.
What's really strange about this anxiety is that it always goes away so quickly. I spend all this time getting ready and all night before the first day worrying, but when the kids actually show up it's like we didn't even miss a beat. We jump right back into everything and I continue to wonder why I go through these emotions every year. I wonder if they will always come back to me at the start of the new year. Something inside me tells me I can plan on it.
1 comment:
I don't think this feeling ever does go away. And common at just about every level of teaching.
But, why not. When you think of the tremendous responsibility you have each and every day.
I like to think that these emotions keep me "at the ready" and don't allow me to become complacent...even if I have done this for many years.
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