By Vicki Quinn

I have a subfolder to create, e-mails to read, seating charts to make, desks to arrange, copies to sort, and meetings to attend. It’s the first day of in-service and a week before students even arrive. I am exhausted at the end of the day and my list of “things to do” grows instead of shrinks. It seems like there are a million places I’m supposed to look to find the millions of forms that I’m supposed to fill out, and everyone else is running around with their hands in the air, too. I should feel more organized than this. I should feel ready. After all, I’ve worked on materials for my classroom almost all summer long and this is my fourth year of teaching.

Unfortunately, for me, it never fails. The first week before school begins is hectic no matter how well I try to prepare myself. I’m always envious of the veteran teachers (and some not so veteran) who have the ability to stroll in on day one, drink their coffee and chat in the staff room, stop and say hello to colleagues they haven’t seen for a while, and calmly sit through meeting after meeting without desperately trying to multi-task. They are who I want to be! Instead, I practically race through the halls avoiding eye contact with fellow teachers so I won’t have to waste my precious planning moments. There has to be a better way, and the first step to change is to address the problems.

My first issue is that I get a little too much satisfaction out of something I call the “plan.” I agonize for days because I insist on building a calendar for all of my classes for the entire first quarter (OK, honestly, first semester). Perhaps just planning for the first week would suffice? Experience tells me that I usually adjust the lesson plan calendar according to school functions and students in the classroom anyway. I could save myself some anxiety if I just set up that first week, planned basic lessons with a few goals in mind, and left the rest open to flexibility.

My second quandary is my classroom. I am lucky to teach at a school where many of us don’t have to travel. I have my own room, and with that benefit is the responsibility of the décor. A little self-analysis tells me that I might be spending too much time worrying about desk arrangement and bulletin board aesthetic. Of course, I also measure out the posters to be exactly two inches apart, and I carefully laminate and post bell schedules and grade policies. Maybe I could take the first month to get walls covered instead of trying to do it all before students step into the room. I have a feeling that they would appreciate the slow change just as much, if not more, than an immediate completion of the room.

Finally, I have the problem of being a “yes-(wo)man”. I commit myself to too many clubs, committees, and organizations. These obligations, though satisfying, take a lot of dedication and time, and thus take away from my preparation for the students. The most important aspect of my job should be foremost on my plate. I must learn to participate in fewer, carefully chosen activities, thus stalling the crazy rush of wind I feel on the first few weeks of school.

Luckily, the craziness of the first few weeks is also part of the passion that motivates me to continue in this field. Next year, I’ll remind myself that I’m more prepared than I think I am. I’ll adjust my plans and my organization habits. I’ll listen to the voice of reason that tells me I’m ready, and I’ll learn to say “no” when I’m already overwhelmed with duties. For the present, I’m still the whirlwind; for the future, I’ll practice the steady breeze I’ll become…next year.

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Posted October 12, 2006