WOW!!!!!!! Congratulations.

But highschool English? YIKES!

Hope you start out real strict, and then let the students get to know your nicer side. That age group is tough.

Congrats on the job. You are doing an awesome job!

Congratulations.

You rock! Knew you could do it.

And sorry your xh is still doing the 2 am dial up thing.

Don't answer him.

You are doing so incredibly great! Keep it going! WE love you!

wow..can't believe that me being this depressed can write that. mabye i'm doing better than i thought hopefully?

Told you so, told you so!!! I am sooooooo happy for you! You will be fantastic! Things are starting to fall into place for you - keep the faith!

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! ! ! ! ! !

<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Just curious why you expose yourself to conversations with him like that? Yuck, why would you need to know that?
You're not in Plan A, not in Plan B....you're divorced. You owe him NOTHING>

I really think he's looking for your approval and forgiveness.

I think you should withhold both until he's actually remorseful.

Congratulations on your new job. You will be a great teacher. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

So why did he have to inform you? Stupid WS'. What did you tell him..... so what?!??!? <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

L.

Congrats on the job! I've been a high school English teacher for over 2 decades and find it energizing, exhausting, and wonderful.

As a parent coming into the classroom you bring a wealth of experience and patience that can't be taught in any college class.

If you ever need support, advice, ideas, or an ear for rants/raves, I'd love to help. Just send me a private message and I'll email you.

Again, congratulations.

Good luck tomorrow on your first day back at school, intexas!

Good luck tomorrow! Have fun!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! I'm so happy for you.

I hope your first day went well.

YIPEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Well, had first day today.

And am doing my absolute best to stay positive. It's new teacher in-service--i get the students in 2 weeks.

I heard today that I will not get my own classroom. I'll be a "floater." I was not informed of this when I accepted the position, and am really unhappy about this. It makes me so nervous and extra overwhelmed (is that possible?)

I am trying to stay positive--have researched tonight tips for floating teachers, but still, just a bit let down and scared.

I also found out I can't leave my campus till 4:45, which is HUGE because I have to be at my other job at 5:00, and it is 30 minutes away. Which means, gotta quit the non-profit management job--which is HUGE because I live here and that means a move and less income. It was ultimatley my plan--just wasn't ready for it so soon.

So I still have a million changes happening. I just want a little normalcy..something. I am sorry if I sound a bit down--I'm just scared. Tired. And in need of a good "let it all out" cry. I have been holding back the tears all day.

But God has carried me this far--He's not gonna stop now. Gotta keep that attitude.

Pray for me tonight. I need hugs.

Intexas

p.s. Thanks for the well-wishes. It made my heart smile seeing you all thought of me today. Also, JOhnstwin--you don't have your e-mail posted, so send me one first (it's in my profile)--I'd love to visit with you about all of this--I could use some help from a "pro."

Maybe you could talk to the people at the other job and arrive a few minutes late....perhaps a schedule adjustment could take place.

You know Eleanor Roosevelt said about women?

You never know how strong they are until they are put in hot water.

i like that. It's goes along the lines of my sig line.




I don't know if you've followed my sitch at all, but my boss at this job is not the fondest of having me doing this job as a single mom, and has actually made this very hard for me at times. It's for the best, I know. I just wish I had some more time. I'll make it. The water is hot--that is for sure. Truthfully, I thought this was the cooling off period. But, I KNOW it will be okay. Worse case scenario--I'll still go to heaven <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

You know, I've figured that out. You will survive what you can survive and, when you can't survive any longer, then you go to heaven. The nice thing about being middle-aged is that you know you are half-way there.

no one ever gets anywhere easy .....keep the hot water burning youll come out better than ever

Maybe you could talk to your principal. Maybe they would allow modifications of your school scedule- since you are a floater, you can't be working in your room <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

At my school, we have more bodies than space (22 portables) so a lot of new teachers become "floaters." One of our teachers who floated to other rooms used a wagon and plastic file boxes that have lids. This allowed her to keep her stuff together.

Also, you might talk to your department head about getting some office space or a desk to use for your planning time.
Talking with the pricipal might help too.

Does your school require that you arrive 30 minutes before class and stay 30 minutes after the school day ends? Sometimes you can negotiate coming earlier to leave earlier. If you have a union, you could talk to your union rep about this.

My principal lets me come in early so I can go home earlier to be with my youngest boy when he's done with school. I still meet the time requirements, just not the "exact" time frame.

When you start getting buried in papers to grade remember this, you don't have to correct everything. Pick a few parts of the essay or paper that you think are the most important, and correct those parts. I used to teach creative writing and had my students doing all sorts of writing every day. On Tuesdays, when they turned in their weekly stuff, I had them mark the stuff they thought was their best with a star and the one they wanted me to comment on to give them some pointers with an arrow. Those were the ones I corrected. I gave them points for completing all the other stuff if it was done.

I always had things due on Tuesdays because they never remember to turn it in on Mondays. That way they could remember to bring it from home or finish it if they put it off.

You might also want to prepare a weekly assignment list on an overhead and show it during the class so students know what they are doing and when it is due. When parents ask about due dates, you can tell them it's on the overhead everyday.

Because you will be "breezing" into classes with the students, you might want to create a routine where they do some warm up in a journal or silent reading for the first few minutes so you can get settled. I use Readers' Digest and other magazines of interest (Game Informer that I steal from my sons) for kids who have "nothing" to read.

Another thing, when kids tell you they have nothing to write about, have a paragraph or topic that you've written on an overhead and tell them to copy it. I say "Then write what I've written, but then you'll be writing like a 45-year-old woman." That motivates the boys to find something that's not middle aged female teacher writing.

Hang in there. You'll be great.