Exhausted but Happy

SO TIRED! Like beyond my normal tired. I probably could have gone to bed three hours ago and slept through the night. To be honest, I think the only reason I’m still awake is the coffee break I had with my dad.

When we finally got home, I cast off my work clothes and donned my “Sunday pants”. They’re about two sizes too big but I think that’s what makes them so darn comfortable. Of course, that comfort couldn’t last. My mom came home and wanted to go to the mall. There were a few things that I needed to pick up and dinner was included.

In both cases, I talked pretty much non-stop about placement. With an embarrassing amount of enthusiasm. It’s funny because my host teacher asked me if I was having fun. If only she knew how much I’m enjoying it. I don’t think I’ve ever worked this much or this hard, but I like the variety. I like how one day is never really the same as the next. I like how there’s routine, but at the same time with fifty different kids, you’re never going to have the same conversation, do the same activity. I like talking to the kids. For instance, today, one student handed in the assignment I set yesterday. He told me he did it because “he didn’t want to make me sad because it was my first time teaching”. How sweet is that?!

So here’s a truth about me. People rarely surprise me. Not my peers, not older adults. I find that kind of depressing. I find that working with kids, I’m constantly being surprised. It’s nice, it’s refreshing and not to be melodramatic, but watching a kid light up kind of helps restore a little of my faith in people.

So, things I learned today at placement:

1.      Though my cousin T makes fun of the fact that I have a jar filled with Tylenol, Advil and antacids, he is not above asking me for Tylenol in the copy room.

2.      I finally passed photocopying 101 October edition. Did all my own copies, by myself. Take that photocopy gods!

3.      When in the copy room, keep conversation volume down. People will close the door on you and it’s way too hot in there to be trapped. That or they were trying to suffocate us... If the faculty is targeting student-teachers, does that make attempts at murdering us a hate crime?

4.      There are identical twins in my English class. I confirmed today that I can in fact tell them apart. I was pretty sure yesterday after learning their names, but as of today I definitely can. I told my host teacher and she promptly asked me how I was doing it. She’s been calling them by their last name so that she’s never wrong. Clever solution.

5.      Note taking is for suckers. Whip out your phone and take a picture. I’ve only been out of high school five years. How things have changed...

6.      Secretaries are not weather people. The front desk secretary assured me that it would be sunny today and that the cloudy weather would clear up. It did not and by the time I left for the day, it was absolutely pouring.

Lauren.