Day 1

FYI My pictures still won't post and I don't care enough to fix it so sorry for the boring picture-less entry.

I need to write down some of these experiences from student teaching somewhere so I am doing it on my blog since it's kind of like my journal at the moment.
Today was my first day of student teaching and it went pretty smoothly I think. I slept really well last night (despite my brain going a million miles a minute with every worst case scenario out there) and I woke up to my alarm. Unfortunately, I had set my alarm for 6:00 am when I was actually supposed to set it for 5:30 am so I had a late start regardless. Nevertheless, I got to school on time and prepared for the day.
I was really expecting to have some pretty bad nerves before class started but I think all the praying and vicodin (just kidding) helped because I found myself just getting up and doing what I needed to do. The only time I was really nervous was that moment when I walked to the front of the class 1st period and began to take control of the students. It reminded me of when I went cliff diving with my family at Lake Powell-I was standing on the edge of the cliff and knew that as soon as my feet left the ground I would have to fall but I also knew it was going to take a purposeful physical effort on my part to make it happen.
As soon as I started talking, I felt like I had been a teacher all my life. It was kind of amazing. It was even better when the students behaved like I was a teacher. They listened to me and paid attention to me which relieved my #1 worry (Although truthfully I have to remember that it was only the first day...).
Even better the students seemed to like me. They laughed at my jokes and a couple even smiled at me in the hallway later that day. My cooperating teacher seems to think I am doing pretty good too. The only thing that I am feeling nervous about is when I am going to have to discipline the students because that is definitely my weak point. But I will cross that bridge when it comes to it!
I was completely exhausted by the end of the day and I am definitely not getting enough sleep so I need to start working on getting an earlier bedtime so I don't kill myself.
All in all I enjoyed the first day but I still have so many worries and "what-ifs" that go though my mind when I am not in the class. And I am feeling a little stressed at the schedule my cooperating teacher has put me on-a student teacher is typically supposed to observe for the first 2 weeks and then slowly take over the class finally taking over the class completely around the 6 week mark. I am doing this the very first week. Kind of terrifying. But with the Lord's help I think I can do this!


PS I still miss Rexburg more than I can say. But I am sure student teaching will help me forget that REAL quick!