When I was in primary school I cried on the first day of school every day until Grade 3. It was always put down to the fact that I was shy, clingy to my mother and apprehensive due to my multicultural background.
When I reflect on that now I can pinpoint the reason I was like that. It’s because I hate new situations. I can’t stand the unexpected, the unfamiliar. I still panic if I’m thrown into a situation where I can’t plan ahead, or don’t know what’s coming next. And so, when faced with a new teacher, new students and a new classroom, I cried. I wanted to go home where it was safe, familiar and I knew my boundaries.
Now, as a teacher, I’ve dealt with students who have been so enthusiastic about their first day at school that they have practically burst through the door singing. On the flipside, I’ve dealt with precious little beings that cried every… Read the rest