The first month.

When not starting at the beginning, I am at a lost for where to start? Today? Yesterday? The infamous FIRST day? For time interests sake I will brief you on what you need to know to understand our present moment.

I am living on an Indian Reservation. I am not Native, I am white. I stick out like a sore thumb and my students rarely let a day go by when they do not remind me of this. The day before I started my first year of teaching as a 2nd grade teacher my principal gave me the joy* (and challenge) of helping mold the minds of not only 2nd graders, but also 1st graders. So in the few hours before school started I changed name tags, added 1st grade standards and tried very hard to wrap my mind around the idea of a mixed class. Some days I find myself still doing the same thing.

August 5th rolled in with thunder, as my students stumbled into class they showed anything but excitement. They were nervous, I was nervous (and still frazzled that there were 1st graders in my room) and for a minute or two we just looked at each other. After initial introductions and awkward looks we gathered around the calendar area, there I was promptly informed that school had started way too soon, as a class they collectively did not like school. How can you not like school within the first 5 minutes of 1st/2nd grade? I was baffled, the younger kids are the ones whose spirit is rejuvenated with each new sunrise. They are the ones who thrive on the idea learning something new. Not my dearhearts, they didn't want to learn to read, when I asked where they would rather be unanimously they said in bed. Uffda, so as the first day progressed their sincerity in their beginning school remarks seemed to become ever clear, they would rather be anywhere than school.

As the weeks have gone by I am still trying to get resources for my 1st graders, seeing as I was originally 2nd grade, there was nothing for me in regards to 1st graders. I have taken out the retired reading program and revived it in my room. Together 1st and 2nd grade, we are all learning our letter recognition.

In math we are still working on number recognition. Ideally we should be adding, but I feel that will be a long time coming.

Behavior wise, I am a zoo keeper. Four of my eighteen students make the veteran teachers at the school cringe. If I am ever able to snag one so I can take a bathroom break they always leave apologizing for my class list.

It is now the 5th week of school. I have had students run away, pinch me, bite me, kick me, and threaten me. I have had students rearrange their desks almost everyday. Three of my students tear most papers I give them to shreds.

But don't let that fool you, I have several little sweeties who follow me around and sit at my feet. They look up at me with their big brown eyes, thirsting for knowledge. They are the ones that tell me, "Teacher, I came to school today to learn, I want to learn", these are the children that encourage me to wake up in the morning and to come back to school to help them learn.