A New Semester Part 1

At the beginning of a new semester, I always feel like it's the first day of grade school.  Nervous, wondering if I will know anyone in my class, will I make friends, will others like me?  And on top of it, I know that at 28 years old with a bachelors and masters degree, I'm old enough and qualified enough to teach college, but will my students think that?

Yesterday I had my first class of Trigonometry.  This is the first math class that I've taught at the college level... and it's been years since I took a college level math class myself.  I've been preparing for it for quite a while now, so I know the material well and I had nearly everything ready for the first day.

I had all day to get ready and get some things done around the house.  An hour before I was going to leave, I was finished with my prep and sat down to peruse the internet.  Then I went, woke Tim up from his nap, and was getting ready to go.... when I suddenly realized I hadn't made the daily quiz yet.  Okay, still have time, so I sit down and do that [it took all of 5 minutes] then get ready to go out the door and realize I forgot to put on makeup.  [Now I don't normally worry too much about makeup, but especially on the first day I like to be perceived as put together and prepared, and makeup seems to help that.]  So I go back and do that.

I'm out the door and on my way.  I get to the college at 5:10 and just need to make copies before my class at 5:30.  No problem... make the copies, gather my things and suddenly think, I really hope there is chalk in the classroom!  Yes, I have available to me a chalkboard [actually 3], an overhead projector and a computer with projector in the classroom.  So I start to panic with only 10 minutes left until class starts.  Ask around and find out there should be some in the classroom, but if not, what to do.  So I head to class... and go the wrong way... a few minutes later, huffing and puffing and feeling like I just blew a house down, I arrive, open the door, and the students flood in.

Not how I saw myself starting out, but things definitely went up from there : )  In my humble opinion, I think last night was a success!  I had some interaction, I enjoyed it, I knew my stuff, and I am looking forward to tomorrow [and hopefully a better before class experience].