the blahs

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the blahs
By ER

Trish, I too was so excited when I got my first teaching job. That feeling lasted and the blahs didn't arrive until I went home from school after the first day. I was hysterically crying and was ready to quit. I am not
going to lie to you- teaching is a tough job. I have third grade, so eighth will have its differences I am sure. But even in third grade, students do some of the things that you would think an eighth grader would do. I won't go into specifics, but it definitely gave me the blahs. I had the same, what-have-I-gotten-myself-into feeling. It's like a pit in your stomach. The way I have

gotten through it and remained in teaching (at the same school, with very difficult kids!) is to do what Carolyn said. Just when you've reached your breaking point, something will happen to make you feel so great. Those children are what do it for me. A hug, a card, or kind words that make me realize that I have been the one to make someone's day brighter, that cures the blahs. My advice to you, as I enter my third year, is DON'T spend too long decorating and setting everything up. Too long means you exhaust yourself and feel like it has to be perfect. More importantly, spend most of your time planning SOLID lessons to fill EVERY MINUTE of time the first week of school. Don't be afraid to let your students know about you- they feel more comfortable if they know that stranger up in the front of the room. Appeal to their human side! Make sure that they know that you mean business- don't have too much fun those first few days. You probably already know this advice, but if you don't follow it then the blahs that you have now will consume your life. Just try to think back to all of those things that excited you about teaching (before you discovered the referrals). Invest your time NOW so that life during the school year will be as EASY as possible, especially with such a long drive. It's hard, and you will undoubtedly have the blahs from time to time. Just take control and watch a movie like that one called Dangerous Minds with Michelle Pfeiffer for inspiration. Good luck!