First day of school jitters

[mccallister84]

I'm staring at a new school tomorrow as the department chair and I swear I'm freaking out more than the kids do - what if no one likes me? Who will I eat lunch with? This is my first new school since I started teaching and to make matters worse SO will still be teaching at the old school, so I also lose out on having him at work. Tell me I will be okay!

[Deleted]

Good luck!

[CloudBee]

If you're the chair I wouldn't be surprised if people eventually start asking you to join them to lunch, and show you the ropes. They will want to impress you.

Deep breaths, and good luck! How exciting!! Congrats as well!

[Deleted]

I know exactly how you feel. I moved schools and I also get nervous every year. You will be fine and people will invite to lunch. Good luck!!

[mccallister84]

Thanks ladies! I really feel like a middle schooler myself - I spent way too much time picking out my outfit for tomorrow.

Honestly, I'm not at all worried about the teaching part, I know I'm good at that. Unfortunately the kids don't come back for another week so I don't have that to distract me yet.

[UMaineTeach]

good luck!

[mayflowers22]

Good luck!!

[shell403b]

So, how did it go?

[cricketwife]

I just wanted to chime in with "good luck and you'll be fine!" I totally get this because we started back last week and every day it's "who am I going to sit with at lunch?" in my brain. It always works out. I just take an empty seat at a table with some faculty. Sometimes I say, "Can I sit with the cool kids?" before I sit down.

It's my first time in 8 years being "new" and it's really not that bad. You'll do great!

[mccallister84]

It's been ok. People aren't really super friendly, which in some ways is a good thing - I've gotten a ton more done then I normally have at this point because no ones coming by to chat.

It's also rough because it's laid out like a traditional middle school built in the 60s (think one long hallway with shorter hallways jutting off of it - kind of like two upper case Es placed back to back, but with more than three hallways). My room is in the very last hallway so no one comes by there so there's not a lot of spontaneous socializing.

It's just hard because I left a school where I had really great relationships - the teacher across the hall from me also taught math so we were constantly in each others rooms batting ideas around. However I keep telling myself that it took a good six months to really form relationships there so I can't expect it to happen overnight.

Thanks so much for asking and for everyone's kind words and thoughts!