Seriously Stressed

[MIKolbe]

Anyone who can make it through dinner at a Thai restaurant with me, can make it through pretty much anything.

[cruciatacara]

[size="4"][b]Why Worry? Irish Blessing[/b][/size]

[size="3"]
In the end, there are only two things to worry about:
either you are well or you are sick.
When you're well, there is nothing to worry about.
But if you're sick, then there are two things to worry about:
either you get well or you will die.
When you get well, there is nothing to worry about.
But when you die, then there are two things to worry about:
either you'll go to heaven or you'll go to hell.
When you go to heaven, there is nothing to worry about.
But when you go to hell, you'll be so beaver dam busy shaking hands with friends,
you won't have time to worry!
SO WHY WORRY!?[/size]

[Rebecca2009]

I wil remember you in prayers Lillabett! I admire teachers a lot. God bless you as you do this for Him!!

[4588686]

[quote name='Groo the Wanderer' timestamp='1310382070' post='2265690']
you're
[/quote]


Wow. Really*?
















*Before you make the obvious leap: I am not asking if it is true that 'you are' is really correctly contracted as 'you're'. PM me if you want to discuss this further.

[rkwright]

My wife is going into her third year teaching. I remember her first year was pretty stressful. She was having all the same worries you have. But she had a good team that helped her through it all. I felt like her first year was just trying to figure everything out, to keep her head above water.

Her second year was still stressful, but a different type of stress. She had everything figured out, but realized how she could do a better job teaching. She was less worried about classroom management and more about the lessons.

We moved this summer and shes going into her third year teaching, but first year at a Catholic school (she was at a public school). A lot of those first year fears are coming back. She spends a lot of time at school these weeks just trying to move her stuff in, etc.

Its just like any job - you're going to be thrown straight into it the first week. You'll survive. Then you'll look back and figure out how silly some of the things you were stressed about.

[let_go_let_God]

Also when you get there, find a teacher who will "mentor" you. They will know the in's and out's of the school better than you will. This person can help you figure out all those fine tuning aspects that a summer course cannot teach you. Good luck and blessings.

God bless-
LGLG

[Luigi]

I will add:

Love your students, in the Thomistic sense of "want what is best for them." I've heard it said that the most important element in student success is the student's ability to relate to the teacher. Students can relate to teachers when they know the teachers want what is best for them & support them.

It's a 'servant' attitude but with a funny reversal of the typical 'servant' status. Usually, the server is at the low end of the power scale and the servee is at the top. But in this situation, the server is at the higher end of the power scale. In that kind of a situation, it may take some conscious effort not to look down your nose at your charges, or to avoid being confrontational, or whatever.

Now that I think about it, that may always be the case with ministry. And your teaching is a kind of ministry.

[Papist]

God bless you!

Don't stay in your classroom. Eat lunch wth the other teachers. Remember, all teachers were a first year teacher once. Good luck.

[Totus Tuus]

Keep in mind that how drained you are is playing a big role in how you're feeling emotionally, and contributing to your anxiety. If you will have a chance to rest up before you begin teaching, I think you'll feel a lot more prepared.

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='Luigi' timestamp='1310394480' post='2265715']
I will add:

Love your students, in the Thomistic sense of "want what is best for them." I've heard it said that the most important element in student success is the student's ability to relate to the teacher. Students can relate to teachers when they know the teachers want what is best for them & support them.

It's a 'servant' attitude but with a funny reversal of the typical 'servant' status. Usually, the server is at the low end of the power scale and the servee is at the top. But in this situation, the server is at the higher end of the power scale. In that kind of a situation, it may take some conscious effort not to look down your nose at your charges, or to avoid being confrontational, or whatever.

Now that I think about it, that may always be the case with ministry. And your teaching is a kind of ministry.
[/quote]

Sounds kind of like Jesus The whole reversal of servant and servee.

[Archaeology cat]

I taught in inner-city JAX for a little while. I remember coming home and phoning my dad crying about a student. He turned around and told me that he'd had a student he just couldn't stand and asked the principal to remove the child from his class. The principal didn't do it, so my dad had to figure out some way to reach that child. He advised me to do the same. It took me a while, but I finally found some way of connecting with that student, and she became one of my favourites because I got to know and understand her. It's not easy, it can be stressful, but you can do it. I'll say a prayer for you.

[regina_coeli]

You always give 100%, and with all our prayers with you, you will make a difference to these children. God bless!

[Luigi]

If there are any other Catholics in your group, see if you can organize a special Mass for the whole group just before the semester begins. Add a litany - you'll have to customize your own, I guess - to all the teacher-saints/blesseds/venerables that you can think of, asking them to pray for all of you throughout the school year.

[Adrestia]

My mom was a teacher. I have nothing but respect and admiration for you. No matter what happens, please remember that (1) you are [i]so[/i] much better than the person that would be there if you were not, and (2) you are only going to improve!!

[Chapel Rat]

Mucho prayers are going out to you!

I majored in Elementary Education. I tell everyone I know that student teaching was the most stressful thing I had ever experienced.I was working at night and student teaching in during the day. I had never been physically and emotionally stressed out in my life

My advice is to keep up your prayer life. I started to slack off on prayer and when I did, things became unbearable.
If a lesson doesn't go well, don't beat yourself up. Dust yourself off and keep going. It will save you many headaches
Enjoy it as much as you can! You are learning along with your students. Teaching is alot of work, but I think it's the best job out there. Now, if all the politicians would just get out of the way.......

I'll be praying for you and your students.