Feels right when it's going wrong

Today was very full on.

Trying to get my head around enough of it to write it down is difficult.

This may sound weird but the time today when I felt like a teacher was when I was in front of the class and it was going wrong, not as I expected or in a different directions (I have some very strong willed students). This was a familiar feeling from teaching rounds, where it rarely went to plan or even well, but it was reassuring somehow. Like, I know this feeling and I can learn and make it work, if only occasionally... it's hard to explain but it was a good thing.

There are three main areas I am trying to cope with at the moment. My students (and today their parents), planning (I have no idea what I am doing) and the school (as in “I have yard duty? Now? Really? Sorry. Where was I meant to look for that? Sorry.”).

My students a cute little strangers. They are fine when their parents are out of the room. Hopefully the parents will get that tomorrow... They cried, well really, one of my grade 1s howled setting off a previously unperturbed prep and another who was quite upset already. 3 out of 5 on the first day ain't bad! I'm not so worried about them crying now. Done that. Thankfully, I only really had the morning session with them today as they went to music and library. I met a lot more of my 'team', my physio is lovely and makes me relax – we will plan things together and we have an idea about what we will be doing tomorrow and I met my speechy briefly and she seems nice.

Tomorrow I have someone in who specialises in early years literacy in the morning, so that should go ok and the physio and I have a rough plan for the middle of the day. Then my preps go home and I can spend some time in the afternoon getting to know the other two. The overall plan will evolve and this is apparently normal in this school and I am getting lots of help from the other two prep teachers. They don't want to step on my toes but I need all the help I can get at this stage. I am learning so much already but it seems so fragmented.

I have to go to a meeting with a teacher from the mainstream school one of my kids will go to once a week, before the kid has even started full days, about 30 mins or so from my school, with the AP who organises integration because it is understood I don't know anything yet (and she reckons she'll just have to pretend that she does). It will be an interesting experience!

I got a hug from one of my kids when I said goodbye at lunch time, already!

Yard duty was kind of fun.