Classroom woes

As a teacher I often get bogged down in the annoyances of daily classroom life.

Kids who won't work.
Parents who refuse to answer my phone calls.
The government officials who say that a test is the ONLY thing that matters all year.
A schedule that is impossible to keep.
A to do list that never ends.
Being a counselor, social worker, teacher, disciplinarian, and parent.
Getting bogged down school politics.
Students who just don't care and will make your life as difficult as possible.
Curriculum that needs to be modified so much that I practically have to rewrite the book.
Parents who don't support the school or their child, or who just don't care.............

To often I let all of these things drag me down, and forget why I decided to get into this business! But today I was talking to a high school student who is thinking about going to school to become a teacher. She just seemed so excited about the idea of teaching. I made me remember how thrilled I was when I first started. How exciting it can be to get into a classroom for the first time. Honestly it made me feel old and tired that I wasn't as excited or happy as she was.

I feel that excited about teaching about once a year, at the beginning of the year. That is the only time of year when everything is fresh and new. New kids, new school supplies, new possibilities. I love, love, love the beginning of the year. A lot of teachers disagree with me on this one. At the beginning of the year the kids don't know the rules or routines of the classroom. You have to 'break in' the class and get the kids back into school-mode. But it's still my favorite time of the year. So now I need to try and think back to August and remember how I felt then...maybe then I'll have less complaints and more fun!