Sunday, August 24, 2008

How getting ready to teach is like being pregnant

As most of you know I am getting ready for my next big adventure. The day after tomorrow I go from “stay at home mom” to working mom and start teaching! This is something which I find both very exciting and completely terrifying. Which reminds me of being pregnant. In fact getting ready to teach reminds me of getting ready for Joseph’s arrival in many ways:

1) I am completely freaking out. I can’t really think about it too much or I start to feel sick.
2) But, despite all the stress, I actually also feel confident that I will do a good job and it will be a great experience.
3) An experience which I am sure will be life changing.
4) I have tried to take care of everything I possibly could before the big day. A count down has been ticking in my head since I took the job and I have made appointments, gone shopping, planned, had my oil changed, ordered contacts, froze some food and stocked up on easy meals, tried to get out of some other responsibilities . . .
5) And I had to buy some new clothes AGAIN. Only this time they are super-dorky-old-lady clothes.
6) I am trying to prepare, prepare, prepare. Study, read, talk to people, ask questions, make lists, organize, but again this is something for which I know you cannot really prepare. Despite all this “preparation,” I still really have no idea what to expect.
7) So I have come to the realization that I just have to jump in and give it my best. Despite my attempts at preparation I really have to wing it. In fact, I actually wrote this list in my journal a week or so ago and since then I have pretty much given up on obsessive preparation and haven’t been letting myself freak out so much. I have even given myself a break and had some fun (pictures coming!). I am trying to just accept that it’s going to be hard, I won’t be perfect, but it will be what it will be. Hopefully I can both be of service to the students and build a good life for myself and therefore my family. I survived Joseph's arrival, so I figure I can probably handle this too.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good writing, Ruth, you'll do fine.

Best wishes,

RB

Anonymous said...

OK still in shock here about the previous post.....lol. Hope everything goes well on your first day. I'm sure you were rockin those "super-dorky-old-lady clothes"!!!

Anonymous said...

I am sooo proud of you! I know that you'll be a great teacher, just as you are a great mother! Hope the first day went well. Sweet dreams.
Jenna

JG said...

I want a new post! Did the kids eat you? I haven't heard from you in a while!

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