So week two is almost done..thank goodness!
I have had a rough week and I am ready for a few days to re-focus and re-energize. To anyone who thinks being a teacher is easy, they are so wrong. And trust me, those few months off in the summer are so needed because the work of a teacher never ends. I am always planning, grading, writing notes or a test, and even when I think I am finished, I will run out of time in class or get done too soon and then have to re-arrange my whole plan.
I have realized this week how much of a perfectionist I am. Failure is just not an option in my life and therefore, when I feel like I don’t get it or am behind, I get frustrated. I mean, I am now on day 9 of teaching. That’s it..9 days under my belt of teaching on an island I have been on less than a month. I didn’t go to school to be a teacher and I have students that for the most part don’t speak English as a first language. Some of them barely speak English at all. I have 8 different classes everyday and have students from Kindergarten through 8th grade! So honestly, I realized that I am way too hard on myself. I mean, I haven’t killed any students or cried in front of them yet. I am working my butt off and doing the best job I can do. I just have to let myself learn and grow as a teacher. I will get the hang of it and get into a groove. So instead of stressing myself out over feeling like a failure, I need to recognize that God will give me the strength I need and that asking for help is not a sign of failure, but of wisdom.
Overall though, I love being a teacher! It is seriously one of the greatest jobs ever. And teaching on a beautiful tropical island is pretty good too:)
