TEACHING?

TEACHING, ..WHAT ARE MY EXPERIENCES? What do I find challenging; what do I love? I know of a few teachers who may come across reading this; and as I am slowly becoming one( or not),…. I think it a good subject to write around.
(Prelude,-turns out I teach alone, the students speak minimal English, I speak no Korean- and before this month I’d never been alone in a room with a small child for more than 5 minutes)(I had originally hoped to teach middle or high school because of a complete lack of experience)
I have to say… what is most challenging by far is maintaining the control and discipline of such a wide range of ages and levels. I am fairly psychologicaLYl adept; however, switching from kindergarten, to fourth grade, to 1st grade, to sixth grade, to second grade, to the ever-rowdy after-school 4th grade bunch in one day boggles my mind and challenges my mind to its very extents. The kindergartners are free-spirited fun-loving mischievous critters demanding my every last whit, what’s left of my strength, the reserves of my creativity…and in the end. Well,- you know-, I stand defeated. My surviving grace is via the kindergarten teacher-the only class I teach where another teacher is present. SWITCH Sixth grade-ok, I can handle, by far my favorite class, I know already there will be crying all around when we part. SWICTH 1ST grade, it is my unfortunate second week discovery that this age group is much more understanding within reward and punishment. But seeing the bright side, (THANK YOU SARAH G.) ,some advice from my sis sets me on the right track. SWITCH 3rd grade-leaders are emerging in this age group-I have to quickly identify the mischievous ones-those developmental psychology classes come back to me and I start to regain control; if you don’t nip them in the bud -quickly- they will set your whole class and year into chaos…lessons learned the hard way, but, I am, how you say?, a rookie!