What an INTERESTING day today was. Never could I have imagined that my first day would have been so surprising.

After the morning staff collaborative meeting we all met the parents and students in the auditorium. The teachers stood behind chairs with their names on them in the front of the auditorium(specialty/specialist teachers had no chairs because we don't really have classrooms)and one by one introduced themselves before the names of students and their assigned teachers were announced. We'd been briefed that the special teachers/interns would lead the line to the classroom so the teacher could bring up the rear.

We were almost all done with classes and I still hadn't been assigned a classroom to help with yet. When all the students were sent off the only people remaining were new students and their parents. I assumed that I was to help out with this and followed the class and teaching assistant I'd been assigned to go to the room with. When I got to the room there were parents and kids sitting down. I assumed that these were new parents and they had all been broken up into groups by their children's' age/grade to be addressed separately. Anyway, the regular classroom teacher in me couldn't take just sitting there twiddling my thumbs as parents looked at me and asked if this was the room their child would be in and little kindergarteners tried to sit still in seats. After a while I started singing songs with them and most of the parents left. Finally I read Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good very bad day and we discussed what had happened during his day.

My principal came in then to address the parents who were still there. It turned out that the teacher who was supposed to be in that classroom didn't show up because she'd been called in to another school over the weekend that she'd previously interviewed for and the lady I'd followed was a teacher assistant for that grade the previous year (for compliance issues, I had to be in the room with her -or at least some certified and licensed teacher).

Anyway, long story short, I was in a kindergarten room all day long. Talk about shock! Not only was I having to get accustomed to the difference between private school and public (my song selections were limited because as soon as I'd think of a song to sing I'd no sooner realized it was religious and I couldn't sing it with them) but transitioning into a new system and set of procedures (outside recess vs. inside cafeteria duty, school -wide voice levels procedures etc.)was taxing. A handout for what the classroom teachers were expected to do was given out last week but it didn't pertain to me so I never did any of those things like planning for having reading and writing activities and morning meeting and how to line-up, get materials, classroom conduct etc.

The returning ESL teacher had checked on me to see if I was okay and I was! I actually enjoyed being with those little ones it was the not knowing what to do with them that was uncomfortable. I didn't know their curriculum and because it was a combined kindergarten and first grade classroom I wasn't sure what they were expected to know. Because I've taught a class before I have certain expectations and the only thing that frustrated me was having them looking up at me not knowing what to do then talking, fidgeting and fussing because they haven't been told what to do and not knowing what to do with them!

The teaching assistant kept correcting them for this but I truly believe that from the moment they walk in my door they should know what is expected of them and never be sitting around waiting for me to give them instructions. I thought it was so unfair to those little children to tell them to not fidget or play or talk because they haven't been told WHAT to do.

I read a book about shapes to them and then we did a little game on the board identifying the shapes and I had them draw as many shapes as they could and was able to meet with a few of them to go over what they drew. But I was always trying to think of things to do with them, implementing them, then stuck not knowing what to do next.

My principal did a capital job however of getting some kind of feedback from the top about the situation and having a letter to send home this afternoon. I can't imagine what I would have done in her position if a teacher who had already started setting up the classroom and had belongings in their didn't show up after the weekend. The parents were rightly anxious and curious to know who exactly would be in there with their children this year.

So, although we're under the impression the teacher is supposed to be returning there is no assurance as to when. I don't want to be unprepared again so I grabbed some books from their teacher's library and some from my ESL library and went over them when I got home. I also am bringing my secular Sing-along CD and instrumental for after lunch. There's one book called "Things I see" and it has all kinds of creatures in it, I'd like to read it, take them outside for a nature walk, then have them draw pictures of things outside that they saw. It'd be nice if the teacher was there tomorrow so that I'm not needed (especially since the first part of the day I'm told is supposed to be an ESL meeting and I'd have to miss teaching them how to come in and unpack etc.)

Well, although this day was just not at all what I'd expected, I'm quite happy with it. I'm quite glad to learn that my principal is proactive and a quick thinker and follows through on what she says. Secretly, I enjoyed being IN a classroom.

Anyway,looking back on this day, I'm so glad that my Father gave me the grace and endurance needed to keep a level head and actually end up enjoying this day. I trust and pray that I'll draw on His grace and strength for tomorrow and be able to deal with whatever he allows to come my way in a way that brings glory and is pleasing to Him.
P.S.- The day ended with an extra sweet blessing when I checked my immigration case status online and found out that my visa has been approved!