First Day with Real Students

It is 7th period and Mr. Jewett and I have a planning period. As there isn't much planning to do on the first day, I decided to find an open computer in the media center and put up a blog.

This was our first day and it has been hectic, but fun. I got in at 7:15 a.m. and spent much of the first part of the morning at the front door, directing kids into the gym until the first bell at 7:35 a.m. Then, kids began finding their lockers, reading there schedules, etc. First bell for classes goes off at about 7:45 a.m. At the start of the first period, there was a quick assembly for the 8th and 9th graders, then another for the 7th graders, to review Mr. Bird's death. That cut the first period pretty short.

The first day for the most part has consisted of Mr. Jewett going over the rules of the computer lab, how to take care of the computers, what to do to get in trouble and lose your computer account, etc. In each class, he spends some time going over the "agenda" for the class for the quarter or for the semester. We are not doing any computer logins, password changes, etc., until the next class period.

(The photograph shows the Cache La Poudre river, which runs behind the CLP campus)

Mr. Jewett knows many of the students already, either from classes last year or from football or other sports. He does not spend much time at all going over names. This will make it hard for me to learn student's names, but I will do my best.

It sounds like Mr. Jewett will be letting me teach alot of his courses when the time comes. He had me do most of the classroom procedures for the 6th period class, as I already had heard it 4 times.

We had a planning period during 4th period. Mr. Jewett went to lift (attend to coaching duties.) I checked out of the building with Peggy at the front desk and took a tour of the grounds. There is a nice nature path by the river in the back of the school grounds, as well as a frisbee golf course. I am an old time frisbee golfer, so I will have to try out the course someday.

I had lunch with Mr. Jewett and Jay, as well as a host of other teachers in the teacher's lounge. Lots of talk and laughs about swimming dogs and the new condiment dispenser in the lunch room (which resembles a cow udder.)

I talked with Mr. Jewett about the case study and needing to find a student. There is a wheel-chair bound student with MS that I was immediately drawn to, but I don't think he will work out. He was scheduled to be in our class first period, but his bus doesn't arrive early enough and we won't have him at all this semester. I might try to work something out to shadow him anyway, as he seems like a great kid and it would be neat to work with him.

Mr. Jewett also has indicated that I might want to try to sit in on another class at some point in time to see how a "real class" works. I am still interested in the "Personal Economics" class, but I am not sure who teaches that course and if I could sit in with them or not.

All in all, this has been a great day. My first day in a real school classroom as a "Teacher," something I have been dreaming about for 25 years or so.

Bell will be going off for 8th period soon, so I must log off.

Hope everyone has had as good a day as I have!