100 days of 1st Grade

Yesterday, January 21, was the 100th day of 1st grade here at the Northwest Arctic Borough. The 100th Day does not mark anything too significant, other than a party and excuse to celebrate and play at school. It also marks my first 100 days as a teacher of my very own class.

How have the last 100 days been?
hard.
tiring.
enlightening.
silly.
heart-breaking.
hilarious.
interesting.
fun.
ridiculous.
discouraging.
joyful.
confusing.
successful.
unsuccessful.
ever-changing.
playful.
creative.

There are a million words to describe teaching, and especially one's first year. Every day, every lesson, is a chance to better improve teaching, and to reflect on what goes on in the classroom. Reflection often just brings up all the hundreds of ways to reach a student, to treat a student, to understand a student, to be be patient, to enjoy the moment, to survive the moment, and to teach. There is almost always a different way to have gone about things- and I am certain there is no right answer. BUT, I have learned there are some wrong answers.

I have learned that in reality, the way to handle particular teaching moments don't depend on the teacher, nearly as much as they depend on the student. Obviously, the outcome is dependent on both parties, teacher and student, but what needs to be done depends on the student. Often it seems like my day can be broken down into consequences: punishments and rewards. Every student requires their own set of reinforcements. Certainly, there is a class-wide system of management, but there is a certain level of individual attention for every student, either spoken or unspoken. For some students they need stern and unbroken discipline and structure, for others they need a bit more love, for the next one, perhaps they need extra explanation, while others might need to be left to work it out in their way and time. For some you must ignore them, for others you must be always attentive.

Each student has their own list of needs, all the while, the facts, the curriculum, the stories, the worksheets, the answers to questions must all get done. Each student needs to improve, needs to learn to read, needs to know basic addition and subtraction, and must be able to tell me what all living things need to survive; above all else, in first grade we are learning how to live in a world with guidelines, with structure, with a list of things-to-do, with a million personalities, with different needs, with different rewards, with different punishments, with a "one-size fits all" that doesn't fit quite right, and how to do it well- while getting along and smiling the whole time. In first grade we learn how to say what we like, and don't like, what we need and don't need, and we learn how to play with the person who does it completely differently than you, but realize that might just be ok. That book called "All I ever needed to know I learned in Kindergarten" is dead on.

NOW, the only question left remaining is: HOW IN THE WORLD DO I DO THIS!?!?!

I have 72 days left to attempt the impossible- AND teach them to read and write.
Dear Lord, HELP! ....please. :)