Tonight is Back to School night!
Basically this means I need to stand up in front of all the parents in my classroom and talk for 30 minutes about what I do with their kids all day long. When I was in high school and college and even grad school the thought of public speaking made me feel like throwing up. I would definitely have a shake in my voice, my hands would be clammy, and my face would resemble the brightest strawberry in the patch. I think I might have broken out in hives once too. Not pretty.
Last year I was SUPER nervous for the parents to come in on Back to School Night. It was my first year and I knew my history of talking in front of groups. But somehow, once I started, I felt like I could go on forever. It felt easy, and I felt confident, and instantly I knew that I would be just fine. Better than fine, even. I rocked it.
The thing about giving a presentation in my classroom is this:
I discovered that I am an expert at talking about what I do all day because I know what I am doing, I am good at what I am doing, and I love what I am doing. I know how I feel about teaching and can easily explain what my beliefs are. I am confident that I run my classroom in an efficient way and I know that I am trying my hardest to see that every child grows to their highest potential. Talking about my teaching is easy for me because it’s what I was meant to do.
And so this year, I am excited about back to school night.
I’m ready to show them my stuff. You know, knock their socks off and all that good stuff. Bring it ON.
