Ahh the good old days of walking into a classroom as a student, wondering what your class was going to be like… So many questions.
Is my new teacher nice? Is it a man or woman? Are they old? What will we learn this year? Do they offer tutorials?
Let me give you a hint as to what age group I teach based on the FAQ’s I get asked on the first day of school…
- “When is this class over?”
- “Are you going to give us homework?”
- “Do we have a lot of grades in this class?”
- “Are you going to make us read?”
- “Can I use the restroom?” (five minutes into class)
- “Why do we have to go to school?”
- “Can I text in class?”
- “How old are you?”
- “Why are you giving us a paper already?”
- “Who farted?”
Yep. It’s the age in which students are more focused on watching the opposite sex walk down the hall and Instagram than the path to a collegiate level education.
Junior High
Specifically, I teach 7th grade. So take everything you already know and/or fear about teaching Junior High and add a kindergarten attention span and hyperactivity level. Tadaa! That’s my life. I see it more as herding wild jungle cats in heat while trying to teach them to care about books and necessary writing skills. Many days it feels like a near impossibility. Let me tell you though, they really surprise you when you least expect it… Either by incredible grades or compassion. Then, they go back to their farting, sweaty, hormone driven and text crazed ways and I’m back to square one. But that one day of triumph makes it worth it. Why would one day out of 180 be so great? Because the rest of them have…
The stories
Everybody who knows a teacher understands that the most hilarious and frustrating stories could be told daily just by asking, “How was your day?” The memories I have of teaching frustrate the hell out of me as they happen but turn into stories I realize couldn’t be made up if I tried to. It’s hilarious, memorable, wonderful and so rewarding. So here it goes…
Welcome to the world of a Seventh grade Reading and Writing Teacher.
For the Love of ELA 
I’m so glad that we were able to connect and find each other’s sites! I feel that this will be a great resource for me in my teaching. Thanks for a wonderful site!
Thank you! I am absolutely inspired by your blog. Teaching abroad sounds like such an adventure and a blessing! Maybe one of these days, I’ll rack up the courage to do it myself. Or I could just read your blog and dream. 😉