First Day as a New Teacher

The August 31st Chicago Tribune had an article about Cynthia Klaczynski who had her first day of teaching at Glenbard South High School in suburban Glen Ellyn. She is a "cart" teacher which means she moves from room to room with her teaching materials on a cart. She was nervous and admitted it to her students and told them that this was her first year. Cynthia also has an assigned mentor teacher to help her.

"I wanted to be a teacher since 6th grade," says Cynthia Klaczynski, 23. "This is it."

"Klaczynski and hundreds of other novice teachers throughout the Chicago area are ready to test their college courses against the realities of managing a room crammed with young people."

She has five classes. around 100 students, and gets paid $44,000 a year for her efforts.

This article brought back some memories of my first day of teaching in Round Lake, Illinois, at John T. Magee Middle School, back in August of 1973.

I was very nervous and did not sleep well the night before. However, I never admitted to the class that I was nervous or that this was my first year. The less they knew, the better, I figured.

I had two classes each of seventh, eighth, and ninth graders and three different preps. One was seventh grade geography (a course where I would get a new group in every quarter), another was a yearlong 8th grade history class, and the third was ninth grade world georgraphy, also for the duration.

Essentially, the principal gave me books, a room, and told me to go to it. At least I didn't have to "cart it" from room to room. I had no mentor and had always known that I wanted to be a teacher.

My great grandfather was a teacher, as was my Aunt Louise and my mother (although she didn't start teaching until I was in 6th grade as she stayed home to raise us and finish her college courses), and my father could have been one. Since then, my sister has entered the teaching profession. My brother also could have been a teacher, but like my dad, chose the business world.

My salary for that first year was a whopping $7900. But, back then, you could live on that money. I wouldn't recommend trying it today.

I was hired the week before school started, but that is another story.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to Teaching I Go (or Went). --RoadDog