It has been great being back at home. Living all my life minus the past half year in the Midwest, you really can notice a significant difference in lifestyle and culture. It's so much more peaceful here, not to mention a nice break from work.

Looking back at what I've gone through, it has been a whirlwind. So much, if not too much, so fast. I can finally take a long, deep breath.

I thought I'd have a lot to say but really all that needs to be said is I feel blessed to be where I'm at. The kids are difficult but they will be manageable. It's sad to see that it is the few troublesome students that ruin it for the other students. I sympathize with those students that want to learn but cannot when the teacher has to deal with other behavioral issues.

One or two students can change the dynamic of an entire classroom.  But, hearing from my mentor teacher, it is those students that help make you a better teacher. You make your lesson but then have to find ways to accommodate those students as well.  You try to make things more interactive, more hands on, more original so that repetition doesn't bore the students to misbehavior.

To be honest with you, creativity was never a strong point of mine. But it's stretching and pulling me in ways I never thought would happen. Read the rest of this entry »

It was by no means what I expected. I mean, it was, but it wasn't. Of the 5 days, I went home all but one of the days with a sickening feel to my stomach. I went home exhausted, leading to one day sleeping at 9pm. I knew it was going to be hard. I knew the kids were going to be trying, they were going to be behind grade level, ....and they were going to be sweet. Talk about roller coaster.

There were days where I wanted to grab a student and slap behavioral sense in them. There were days I wanted to hug a student for getting the right answer. There were days I wanted to vomit (or at least dry heave) after a class and there were days where I felt like I could change the world.

Thankfully, the faculty has been supportive. There has been constant checking in on me to see how I survived. There is nonstop empathy. Notice, not sympathy, but empathy. They give no false words of, "Oh, just the first week. It'll be fine from here on out." Rather, it is, "Brother, I feel your pain. We can get through this." That was comforting to some extent but I'd be lying if I didn't say it doesn't scare me.
"Can I handle them?"
"Can I teach them?"
"Can I make it through the year?"
I knew this year was going to be rough. I knew there'd be much sacrifice and pain. I just didnt know what it'd feel like. After week one, now I have some idea.

Andy Kwok is a biology teacher at EXCEL High School.