"Hello, Teacher Alba"

"Being a new teacher is like trying to fly an airplane while building it." Rick Smith

... while also trying to learn how to fly the plane...

. . .

Lesson planning is lots of work... So Kendall had to give us some stickers of encouragement.

Let me be completely honest---Lesson planning sucks! But yes, it must be done. In the first week of teaching, I really did not touch my lesson plan much after getting it all written down, but it was so nice to have it there as a safety net. It was a comfort!

Along with lesson planning, there is also A LOT of lesson prep. My lessons included a lot of stories this past week, so I had to make several props to bring with me to class. If you know me at all, you know that I am 1) not creative at all and 2) artistically challenged. I seriously get upset at my own doodling! And how does one mess up doodling? Anyways... so it was really hard to prepare my props. But with some help I managed to get everything I needed done for my weeks worth of classes---a wolf mask, some goodies and a basket, granny glasses, and an ax. As well as some piggy snouts and tails, and 3 houses. 

(Can you guess what stories we talked about in my class?)

This is one of our cute little classrooms. Actually..they are pretty huge!

Some days, I just really wish I had a smaller classroom so I had less space for the children to escape to, but when I want to stand up to do an activity it really is quite convenient. 

(Teacher Sammie, Teacher Kylee, Teacher Alba)

Excited for our first day of teaching!

(Teacher Kendall decided to join us)

But then again, we were super nervous/worried/scared.

So, usually when I'm nervous about things I just close up, stay quiet, and sit still. That was definitely not the case on the first day of school. I was fidgeting with literally everything and could not stay in one place! 

I was almost relieved when our first set of children began to show up and walk in. Weird huh?

But, oh my dear goodness, these children are so stinking cute! I just wanted to run up and hug each and every one of them!

...And then I taught them and learned that all children are still little stinkers...

But, it was actually quite a fun first day. Exhausting, but fun.

Notice, I said the first day. Honestly, I feel like it got much harder throughout the week, but we did survive it in the end. And man was it like angels singing from the sky as all the kids ran screaming to greet their parents Friday evening. 

. . .

I guess I never realized just how hard it is to be a teacher---until I became one. (And, remember, this has only been the first week.) Now I feel sorry for all the things my poor teachers that had to put up with me. Especially my first grade teacher, Teacher Johnny. Oh dear did that man put up with me. All the mornings I was dragged to school kicking and screaming, throwing an even greater tantrum when I arrived to the classroom. With my hair tangled up and my shirt not tucked in. He'd drag me out of the bathroom, where I had locked myself in. Brush my hair. Make me presentable for the day. And he somehow managed to still be kind and patient with me through this entire process that occurred several times throughout the school year. I'm sure it wasn't easy, and I really am not sure how he did it, but I am so thankful that he did. And I hope that while I am here teaching these children I am able to be the teacher then need. I not only want to accomplish the goal of ILP, which is to teach them english, but I want to make a difference in their lives. And if it takes a lot of hard work, then I guess I'm just going to have to do it. Because one thing I've learned so far about teaching, is that it is all about the students. And I hope that as I set them as my number one priority, I will also grow and learn a lot as well. Thank you to all the teachers who put up with me, and put in those several hard hours of effort to make a difference in my life!