Day One...

So...today was my first day of school as a student teacher. I felt like one of those Kindergarteners on their first day of school. You know...the ones that are crying and clinging to their mother's arm, hand, or leg--whatever they can grab onto for dear life...only I had to drive myself and I definitely had no hand to hold through the door...(Jonathan would have been there to do it, but by the time I got to school he had already been at work for two hours...)

**Paul please note our room number**

...and yes I decorated the door ;)

Anyway...I was sooo nervous! I spent the past week helping my host teacher, Mrs. Marchant, with last minute preparation and it was super hectic because almost our entire class roster changed. I had been told back in May that I would be student teaching in a fifth/sixth split class, but due to the high numbers enrolled in fifth and sixth grade this year, the District decided on August 15th that they would no longer have the split. They switched us to just sixth grade and they hired on a new fifth grade teacher (I am so glad I'm not her! She was hired on Thursday and had basically three days to set EVERYTHING up!) I was amazed at how much we had to do to accommodate this change!

In our class we have 29 students, and I have to admit that they are pretty cute. I worried that I was going to regret requesting not to be put in the lower grades, but after today I'm pretty content. Most of the girls remind me of Stephanie :), and the boys--while stinky--are quite a good group of guys. I assumed a lot of them would be taller than me but much to my surprise only one towers over me and several of the girls make me feel tall! (I didn't know that was possible ;P)

Overall, the day went fairly smoothly with no disasters ;) and I think they like me (so far). Now I just have to survive the rest of the year! I'll be at the Elementary School all of this week and then I jump down to just Monday's and Tuesdays until January when I take over all day every day. The program kind of eases you into it so I should be grateful for that!