and it begins.

real life daily planning. becoming an adult.

i purchased new supplies to prepare myself for student teaching, in hopes that i can somehow, after all these years, pull it together and attempt organization. a daily planner. multiple legal pads. a notebook with colored sections for each class. my coop teacher gave me a lesson plan book and one of those red grade books that i've seen on every teacher's desk since i was six. my last teacher gave me a giant desk calendar with lines. perhaps i've just overloaded myself on supplies. i was hoping they would de-stress me, but it hasn't worked yet.

i sat down with my coop last week and tentatively planned out the one class that will be mine from day one - senior lit. [three others i will phase myself into so as not to be completely overwhelmed from the get-go...] from the first day of the new semester these kids will expect me to have at least most of the answers. they will call me ms. brown, laugh at me behind my back, and hopefully learn something i teach them... won't that be surreal?

hi, i'm your teacher... i kind of look like a student, but you need to respect me. yikes.

i worked on my plans all day yesterday. a good six hours of my life were devoted to the first four days of next week. it's crazy. i don't know what i'm going to do when i have to plan for four high school classes. i can't even imagine planning every day of a single class until june. and i am taking two classes at school, and i have a portfolio to deal with, further sucking up my time. then there's looking for a real job. my life will soon consist of going to bed at nine and hoping my friends don't forget about me.

i met with my supervisor last week. there was a large education meeting for everyone that is student teaching this semester and we broke up into small groups to meet with the professor that will be coming to watch us.

sort of lucky for me, my supervisor is the same one i had my junior year when i had observation and participation in milwaukee. she's amusing, but pretty intense and expects a lot. i'm glad that she knew me before this, although when our group was dismissed she called out my name: "lauren? no matter how many times they ask, no matter how much they beg, do NOT give any boys your phone number." um, okay deal? apparently i look like i am going to be on the news soon for cohorting with male students. sigh.

i will have my desk stocked soon, am meeting with my teacher again on wednesday, and officially start on monday. i have a new berlin staff parking pass on my mirror, books galore on my front seat, and am actually looking forward to putting a mug of pencils and pens on my table/desk in the classroom.

it feels like i'm entering this new phase of my life, and i hope it goes well.