It always seems impossible...

There is a quote on the wall at the top of the staircase at my school, Curtis School of Excellence.  The quote is from Nelson Mandela and it says, "It always seems impossible until it's done." I walk up the stairs every day and see that quote every day, but it took on a whole new meaning as I started preparing for and entering my two weeks of lead teach.

Before starting my lead teach, I felt extremely confident in myself, simply because I student taught previously, so I am used to lead teaching.  However, on my second day of lead teach, nothing I was trying seemed to be working. I was angry with my students and frustrated because I could feel the dynamics in our class slowly changing.  I was giving too much power and energy to two of my students who are continuously in trouble for disrupting the classroom with blurting out answers, making popping/clicking/smacking/whistling noises, and being rude to other students. I had followed through with our classroom management plan to the point of calling their parents and giving them a silent lunch, and they continued to make the same poor choices. So, after the second day of my lead teach, I found myself very upset and feeling like there was no way my lead teach was going to end well, after the way that day had gone.

But, instead of giving up, I had a long heart to heart with my mentor, and that night I sat down and thought long and hard about what I could do to make the next two days better. My mentor had suggested that I take time the next day to simply review our "Shining Star Promise," which is essentially our classroom rules.  She talked about how with three teachers in the same room, we each need to re-establish our authority every time we are in front of the students to remind them that all of the teachers are equal in the classroom. I also developed an individual incentive for my two "frequent fliers," who cause a lot of disruption in our room.

The next day, I was nervous, but ready to learn from the day before and make it a great day. I started by sweating ALL the details. My expectations were high the moment my students walked through the doors.  My frequent fliers took some accountability for their actions through the individual incentive. I was able to strike a balance between being warm and strict, and I managed to get through the entire day without wanting to scream/pull my hair out! :)

My lead teach ended on a great note, and I feel like it was a huge accomplishment. It is amazing what a difference a day makes.  This experience has shown me that teaching can be a bit of a roller coaster ride...But in the end, you're always learning, always improving, and I am becoming a better teacher because of it!  The last day of my lead teach was so rewarding.  I climbed that last set of stairs and looked at the quote again, "It always seems impossible until you're done."  With my winter lead teach behind me, I can say it feels really good to have the "impossible" done.