What doesn't kill you .....

..... makes you stronger, right?

I’ll never forget my first year of teaching (does anyone?) Fresh out of teacher's college, I was very fortunate to get a job quickly and I walked into my new school brimming with enthusiasm and had my 'bag of tricks' filled with ideas of community building and bonding with my 'dream team' class.

My first hint that I may have been in over my head was when the first thing my grade-partner told me was not to smile until Christmas. Laughing off his not so subtle advice, I entered into what was hands down the most challenging class I've taught to date.

Nightly episodes of Gilmour Girls and a glass of 'milk' (on the rocks) helped get me through that year with a class stacked with behaviour issues, not to mention some of the most atrocious stories of home lives that I've heard of. Now don't get me wrong, I know my inexperience in teaching in general (not to mention never dealing with so many varying learning abilities and emotional backgrounds) was a large contributing factor to that challenging year.

Somehow - the end of the year arrived, and I was still in one piece (although I don't think I've ever since been so happy to hear the final bell go on the last day of school since!)

Here are a few 'highlights' that I still recall from that first year.....

- having a brand new Mac laptop stolen from my room on one of the few days I was away that year (and no, they never found it).

- getting a call from my principal on a Sunday night saying that our school was broken into and that a number of my drum skins were slashed and all of my windows were broken (not to mention the fire extinguisher that was set off - leaving dust that was still found in my classroom years later - that stuff is CRAZY to clean!)

- being called a racist because I asked a student to stay back to properly fill out his homework agenda

- seeing a student projectile vomit THROUGH his clarinet and onto the carpet

- having a student toss his saxophone across the room - IN THE AIR!!

- splitting my pants (yes black pants while wearing pink underwear) after missing the step down when hanging artwork from my ceiling, in front of the whole class. (Note to self: I need to re-watch my Ladder Safety Video - "Slips, Trips and Falls', an Oscar-worthy performance!)

- absolutely losing it on a student after repeatedly asking him not to throw spitballs into the girl's hair sitting in front of him. I actually 100% lost my cool on him, yelling out a few not so nice teacher words.....and subsequently called his mother to apologize, after apologizing to him profusely as well. (Apparently, according to his mom, his last teacher called him A LOT worse! Regardless, I shouldn't have lost my cool on the kid - but I was driven to the edge that day - and it hasn't happened again since)

- having an intoxicated parent march into our classroom, unannounced, yelling and screaming about how the public school system has failed her daughter.


..... and while I'm on a role, here are a few other memorable moments over the years.....

- having a Grade 3 student 'fist pump' both middle fingers at me through the window after being sent in the hall to cool down after throwing his recorder at another child's face.

- Grade 1 "Billy' returning to class after using the washroom, soaking wet and naked (except for his underwear) explaining that he didn't want to get in trouble at home for getting his clothes dirty at recess, so he decided to wash them in the toilet (he didn't consider the whole drying aspect of his plan - poor little guy!)

- and finally, one of my favourite....while teaching (what I thought to be a well planned and engaging lesson) this past year, a Grade 3 Billy starts yelling out, in the middle of the lesson, "BORING, BORING, YOU ARE SO BORING!!!, followed by a complete meltdown (he was definitely having a bad day).


Despite all of my ranting reflections here, while thinking back on all of these 'memorable' moments, I can honestly say that that the good days (which I will definitely touch more upon in the future) truly outweigh the bad. The days that I laugh until I hurt and smile FAR outweigh the days that have brought me to tears. From a little guy saying "You smell good today Mrs. M.......like oatmeal!" to seeing a struggling student 'shine' when they finally 'get it', to receiving handmade thank you cards accompanied with a smile, reminds me that all of the 'hard stuff' is totally worth it, and it all has definitely made me stronger!

M.