The First Two-Weeks of School Tipping Point and Recovery

The last two weeks were an adjustment to say the very least. I spent the summer waking up around 8AM and have been up by 5:30 every day for three weeks. I went from having roughly ten students I worked with in a small group to having 21 students to manage all at once, all day long. Going from a private school that focused more on creativity and feelings to a school that is extremely data and standards driven has also been a different experience. I am thrilled with where I am, but the little things were sneaking up on me.

I hit a breaking point on Wednesday. I never truly lost it, but I was pretty close to losing it. It was the third morning in a row that I woke up in a panic around 3:30AM. Why this panic? Well, my SMART Board takes up 80% of my usable white board space and the computer that hooks up to it hadn't worked properly since before school started. That meant every morning I gambled: Will I be able to teach effectively today? EVERYONE uses their SMART Board for EVERYTHING. 

I know what you're thinking: "Is it really that big of a deal?" Well, that's just the thing.

In retrospect, it's really not a big deal. On top of the other general stress of the first two weeks of school, this was one of those bigger things that put on top of the tower of beginning of year assessments, learning a new school, learning new state testing procedures, organizing supplies, and making sure my kids knew how to function in my room, it was just about enough to tip me over the edge.

Until three things happened simultaneously around 7:40AM.

1. A student started projectile vomiting on the floor.

2. As student was was vomiting, a student is telling me his dad is picking him up early and he's not riding the bus. He has no note from home to give to the transportation coordinator. 3. A student knocks their table's supply caddy onto the floor

Inhale, exhale

I got the student to the office. The second student's dad later received my voicemail and made sure my student had a note about his transportation change. About six students jumped on the supply caddy to clean up. Then instruction and regular activity ensued as normal.

We, I should say I, made it through the day. The saving grace of the school day was when the technology specialist from downtown showed up and fixed the computer that is linked to the SMART Board. I wasn't convinced it was fixed, but I also didn't stick around a second longer than I needed to at the end of that day. I booked it home. 

Immediately upon arrival home, I went to the Irish bar around the corner with Nick and drank one more glass of wine than I should have on a school night. Nick, ever the patience listener and voice of reason, listened to me ramble and vent and assured me that everything would be ok. I didn't believe that everything at school would be fine the next day, but for the moment, I felt better.

And then an amazing thing happened. I woke up right before my 5:30 alarm. Not at 3:30 like I had several days in a row prior. More importantly, I felt better. I felt like I could let go and just let it be what it would be. Walking into school, I felt ready to take on the day and I wasn't going to let the uncontrollable control me anymore.

I walked into the room, turned on the computer, and went to put my stuff down by my desk. When I turned around, my computer had already loaded.

It all works out in the end.

Best,

Becky