I left my classroom today making myself take deep breaths and assuring myself, “You’re alright. It will be alight.”
If I’m already having to talk myself down like that before the first of October, that is not a good sign. There is no way I can maintain this level of overwhelm for an entire school year.
The good news is that after the five new students I got this week. I am at capacity as far as class size. So they can’t give me any other new students. That will help.
The bad news is I’m not sure I can run my program, even with the changes I already plan to make, for 130 7th and 8th graders. So I guess I have to figure out what I can jettison. And how I can accommodate the different levels that are in my classes right now.
I’m thankful it’s the weekend, and that I have swim meet time on Sunday to grade the piles of assessments and other work in my bag.
I’m alright. It will be alright.
Jetson. You need to make it through the year. And keep breathing in and out. Those are very large classes for a language classroom! YOu must have a good reputation among your students.
But do decrease your stress, as you said: It is early still in the school year.
I’m sorry those classes are HUGE!! I would put yourself first, trim the fat from lessons, run the classroom in a very structured way, put more work on STUDENTS and not you, hold them accountable. Stick with the absolute basics: ser, estar, tener, verb conjugation. Things that are non-negotiable in upper grades. I wouldn’t do anything new- you sound very overwhelmed and trying new teaching strategies may not be good. You will be alright, you are doing the best you can.