Teaching

My first year teaching was probably the most difficult year of a first job ever. I can remember my first day in the classroom at Toledo Blade. I was assigned to a portable classroom because the school was not large enough for the many students that were moving to North Port at that time. So basically I was on my own, there was no door to open and ask for help it was me by myself. A one room school house you might say. The budget was tight and the school was exploding, the previous year there were four third grade classes and now there were six. Therefore, there were limited supplies for the new classrooms. So the four teachers who were pretty tight had to accept the two newbies into the group and share their supplies. Well, this immediately was problematic as they didn't want too. And, hence my first lesson came working with all women. Remember I was just coming off working down in a hole with construction guys. So I was told by one of my colleagues that to get the supplies I needed to clean out her closet first and go through all her old stuff. I quickly declined the offer and told her excactly what she could do with her cleaning job. Not, five minutes later I heard Mr. Q please report to the office. It was the prep weeks before the students arrived so I headed to the office. I saw the Red Headed Bitch that had given me a hard time about giving up her extra stuff coming out of the principals office. Soon my new Boss came out and said well send in the rookie. Mr.C my Principal was an excellent guy and was again about the same age as my dad just like Mr. Grant from Grant Pools. So he sat me down and said so I heard you are having a hard time getting your supplies. I told him what happen and he said well ok but you can't talk to your teammates like your on a football team anymore got it. But, luckily for me this woman that gave me a hard time was a minority the majority of the folks at Toledo Blade were very helpful and ready to help me. My story soon got out and I got tagged as the jock teacher which is not a bad thing always. There were maybe four men on staff and I was the youngest teacher there my first year. So I had a lot of eyes on me and the pressure was great at times. I never had the responsibility of caring for 25 little people before all at once. I was nervous and excited all at once. My student teaching had been about 5 years ago now and I didn't really feel prepared for what was coming. But, I had a new family to care for and a new career with a real salary and benefits and insurance and all the perks. So I prepped my one room school house made lesson plans made tons of copies and got ready for open house. Because like the tide these kids were coming and it was time to swim or sink.