MyGirl~ My First Day @RYDC

Ya gotta love a serenade~ Even if it is done in the middle of a class period by juvenile delinquents trying to impress the new teacher. Ya still gotta love a serenade.

To explain, today was my first day on the job as a substitute teacher at a regional youth detention center. Thrown into the midst of teaching because all but one teacher was at training, I didn't get the advantage of a slow entrance. Instead it was trial by fire, as I was told by the single teacher holding down the fort. "Here we go", I thought.

The day went fairly well for the first one. The males were curious, of course, of the new, young, teacher they have and the females were wonderful and funny. I missed the staff and was pleased to see some friendly faces among them~ even the kitchen lady missed me!

Now to say I was not nervous, at least a little bit, would be a lie. However, it's not a lie to say how excited I was to finally be returning to the place where I so enjoyed interning in the Spring of this year. All the kids were ones I didn't know, so it was a fresh start. I missed the ones I knew, but I hope and pray they have straightened their lives out and I won't see them again within the confines of the RYDC's walls and barbed wire. So not only will I be meeting new kids, but they are meeting me. The staff already know me, and I'm accustomed to the environment there. However, these guys and gals don't, and until they realize I'm not just a short sweet thang', it might be an uphill battle that is well worth the fight.

Already it seems I have somehow managed to make a few allies among the guys and girls. The girls felt comfortable around me enough to talk normal and ask a few questions, while the guys showed me a welcoming by singing the song "My Girl" halfway through class. Great. Yes, this will definitely impress the new teacher more than writing the essay on the handout like I asked. *insert sarcasm*.

Am I happy for the warm welcome? Of course! Do I wish they would actually do their work? Even more so! Am I their girl? Absolutely not! But as long as their attention is held at mutual respect for my authority and their position, we will all get along just fine~~~~~ and have sunshine, on a cloudy day. :)

~*~Leave a Legacy That Will Make a Difference in the World Around You.~*~