Very First Ever Actual Day of For-reals No-joke Teaching

As I trekked up a sidewalk hill toward my car, I released a warbled "whah!" sound. My coworker Sanaz stopped, looked at me intently, and with a firm nod, said "Thank you. That was the perfect sound; I actually felt relief... like, that actually gave me release." See, the day was just that insane for all of us newcomers.

The morning dawned with promise; my first student was a sweet 8th grader who worked with me to conquer activities that stretched her brain. Then slowly the challenge seeped in... my pre-lunch stretch grew increasingly difficult, due much to the fact that I worked with the same student twice in three hours because of a schedule conflict. Poor little guy. We'd both had enough of each other by the end of that second hour. Here on out I'll take on the precious kid once per day. Phew!

By lunch, my questions for more experienced clinicians were no longer distinct and linear. Instead, the queries and qualms had swirled and bumped through my head to create a muddled mess of "huh?" that eventually became the "whah!" by 4pm.

Oh, blessed 4pm. I now finish work an hour earlier, beating the 5:00 commute and saving my sanity by a breath. The afternoon flew by with fluid ease, giving me a chance to settle down and remember why I love this job. And I really do. Honest. I think.