The travails of the beginning of the school year for a loner teacher

[teach1st]

People who know my preferences for being alone and for limiting social engagement sometimes ask me how I can teach. If you don't like being in crowded rooms, they ask, if you don't like being around people, how can you stand being in a roomful of kids?

The answer, of course, is that being a teacher in a roomful of kids, I control the space somewhat. (Additionally, a roomful of students is much different from a roomful of adults.) So, teaching isn't bad at all. I love it.

What I don't love, what I dread, is the beginning of a school year, the time before the students return, when we're required to attend trainings and meetings and other forms of torture.

This week, we had an all-day school meeting full of team-building and ice-breaking. I had to sit in the middle of a large room pretending to like it. The day after that, today, we had training, which consisted of four sessions in cramped high school classes, again, involving much interaction. I don't fault my school or our district for these trainings; a few activities and trainings were well worthwhile. But, after two days of it, after team-building and group activities, after having to introduce myself more times than I'd like, I am drained. I was able to get back-of-the-room seating for most of today's sessions, but still I came close to panic at one point. How nice to get out of there and out of the heavy traffic on the drive home (today's training was 45 minutes away) and into my place, where I live alone. I'm recovering nicely.

I do try to make my classroom a cooperative space, but in an nonthreatening manner. I don't require participation in beginning-of-the-year activities. I always have a few "loner" students each year, and I would wager that I'm more aware of their needs and triggers than many teachers. Over time, I am usually able to gently steer those students into important classroom roles in which they don't feel threatened. Anyway, here's to a great school year, one that includes everybody, and one that has room for a wide-spectrum of student preferences.

Thanks for letting me unload! A few more hours of music and reading and I'll be back to my normal!