The Playground is a Vicious Place

I am now halfway through week 2 at W Elementary, and I have been in an insane crash course of how to work with children in schools. None of my volunteer hours or my education classes could have prepared me for this, so I encourage everyone to try and get into the field as an assistant teacher or teaching aide. It's a rough start but once you have the routine down it gets pretty easy; or maybe this is just my calm before the storm.

A little about my new schedule and what I've been doing:

- I get up at 5am. Every. Day.
          It was not easy in the least the first week, but as long as I am in bed between 9pm and 11pm, I can usually manage. I also have to set 3 different alarms to make sure I get up. Whatever works!

- Morning Recess Monitor Duty is pretty easy.
          Once I've showered, taken care of the animals, prepped everything for the day, and finally made it to school, it is around 7am. I go and stand out in front of the school around 7:10, and then kids start to show up around 7:15. I just stand there, keep them off the flagpole, nothing big. They have to wait in front of the school until 7:30 when they are allowed on campus and the playground. I supervise the intermediate (4th - 6th) playground until it is time for class.

- Lunch Recess Duty is not so easy.
          This is when I am on primary playground (K - 3rd), and sometimes these kids get vicious, like wild animals. I have to put my game face on especially when 2nd grade comes out. The playground is literally split into two factions, and it's like trying to break up baby gang fights everyday. Today I was told I am the meanest teacher ever. I loved it because it meant I was doing my job.

During class time I am in the kinder room working with an amazing teacher who is mentoring me, and I love every second of it. Even when I have to get after my problem kids, or put chairs in time out. I am learning so much every day, and am even given the opportunity to teach lessons.

Since the principal went out on a wild lark to hire me, I often worry if I am doing my job well enough. I want her to be glad that she hired me, so I don't want to do a sub par job; but in this field there really aren't any markers for me to go off of like in previous retail jobs I've had. I just have to figure out how to gauge it on my own, and know/hope I am doing it right when my kids who couldn't remember which way the number 3 faced yesterday, wrote it perfectly today.