Day Two - Monitor and Adjust

Yesterday, I was nervous. I really did not know what to expect. What would my students be like? Would their parents look me over and be satisfied? Would I connect with anyone? It turned out that every child in my class except one attended PreK at our school and were already well-versed in school procedures and there were no tears about saying goodbye. This was a great relief and the day went smoothly. Today, however, my students felt much more comfortable, and I struggled to keep their attention. I guess the drawback to experienced students is that the new wears off quickly. We have a strange schedule that gives us a huge block of time from 11:30 to 3:00, and this is a long time to be in one room with a group of young children whose attention span is about 15 minutes. I think these students are ready for more challenging projects than what I gave them today. Tomorrow I'm adding centers and some think-pair-share discussion, and we will take a learning walk through our school's amazing garden. Also, I will need to work out a bathroom plan. We share restrooms with the class next door, and my students are visiting the restroom in a continuous stream. Some just like to wash their hands...a lot. So far we've had 2 accidents, 3 crying episodes, 1 lost child (who followed another class from recess), 0 fights, 0 upset parents, 1 "you're a nice teacher!" and many, many hugs and smiles. I did make many more connections with the students and their families. I guess, all in all, it's been a good 2 days!