What we did today

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TODAY'S WRITING ASSIGNMENT
A Time When I Felt Overwhelmed

Before I got my teaching credential, I worked as a substitute teacher for a while. One day I got a substitute job at my daughter’s elementary school. It was for a kindergarten class. Since I spent a lot of time at my daughter’s school as a substitute and a volunteer, I knew all the teachers. Diana, one of the kindergarten teachers once told me about how in the beginning, she wanted to teach older kids and not kindergarten but ended up teaching kindergarten and loving it. She was a perfect kindergarten teacher, kind, gentle, and caring. She told me so much about her students, about how cute and imaginative they were, and how it was the best job in the world. 

I thought that my kindergarten day was going to be very easy and fun. I expected to feel like Diana did. I wore colorful clothes, since I read that little kids like colors, and comfortable shoes.

 I thought I was ready. 

As the children began to arrive, one little girl was very upset to leave her mom. When she realized that her regular teacher wasn’t there, she began to cry. She would not let go of my hand, and wanted all of my attention. It was difficult to even greet the kids as they came to school. Then, as I followed the plans left for me by the teacher, one of the kids said he needed to go to the bathroom. After I said yes - one by one, all the kids stopped doing their morning work and asked me to also go to the bathroom too.  I could not keep little kids from going to the bathroom, but I could not have them all go to the bathroom at the same time. I told them to wait but they only started to ask for more things. One was hungry, another one thirsty, another one needed a Band-Aid. I barely did anything that morning. Meanwhile, the little girl continued to hold on to my hand and cried if I tried to let go.

After lunch, she finally forgot about being upset. However, it didn’t make things easier for me. They came in full of energy from their lunch and began to run around the classroom. As I tried to talk to one, another one would grab a bin (container) of toys or pencils and spill it out on the floor. As I tried to clean up the mess, someone else would hit their classmate, cry, or scribble with a marker. I felt completely overwhelmed. They would not listen to me and I couldn’t yell at little kids. All I wanted was for the school day to be over, so I could safely hand them over to their parents, but it felt like it would never end. I was exhausted.

Finally, when school was over, it took me two hours to clean up the classroom. They were cute, but they acted like little animals that got into everything. I gained a lot of respect for teachers who teach the youngest children. It takes an incredible amount of kindness and discipline to be able to do it right. It also takes experience, creativity and a lot of energy. If you have never managed 21 five-year olds alone - it will make you feel overwhelmed. I guarantee it.