the "what if" syndrome

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the "what if" syndrome
By Carolyn

If it makes you feel any better, I am not a new teacher, but I have suffered from the "what if" syndrome all summer, even when I left my North Carolina home and went travelling to the West. I had thought that leaving home
might just cure thoughts of school. They did, but they didn't leave me altogether. (By the way, I spent some time in Utah, too.)
I had a very bad class last year and I am having a hard time trying to get used to the idea that I don't have to teach them anymore! (No, my nightmare didn't come true, thank goodness!) That should make me ecstatic. But, of course, I am still thinking

of how the new class will be. Maybe they changed over the summer and are no longer good... Maybe they are going to be more hormonal this year since they are now fifth graders... Maybe they think they can get away with "murder" just because they saw how bad last year's class was... What should I do differently this year... Does my principal respect me (my second year in THIS school)... Will the kids be nice... How many behavior problems am I going to be stuck with this year... How many with ADHD (I had a bunch of them last year!)...