Although I am at the point where I really should be in bed, I thought an update was in order:

This week the kids are starting to show their fifth grade tendencies. Think about a ten year old you know. Yep, that's right. He or She can be a very snotty kid sometimes. Other times they can be the coolest kid you know. At this point, my students are starting to push the limits. I assume that some of this has to do with typical control issues that every new teacher faces. The other half of it has to do with what the kids were used to last year. I run a much tighter ship than their previous teacher, and the adjustment phase is just now starting to kick in. I'm really trying hard to accept that baby steps will have to do, and I'm trying equally as hard to celebrate little victories and ignore the frustrations for the moment.

With a concrete schedule, meeting dates for my mentor and instructional coach settled, and my desk cleared off of first week paper mania, I'm doing ok. I have to have a substitute tomorrow morning while I attend my first mandatory professional development meeting. Can you believe it?! Professional development and I haven't even been in the classroom for a full week! I can only hope that my sub plans are sufficient, and that those darling children behave themselves....

Breathe in, breathe out. Repeat.