The Seemingly Downward Spiral of a First Year Teacher That Actually Turns Out Alright in the End: A Case Study

My first year as an educator has followed a tumultuous pattern. Not only was I exploring who I was becoming as an educator, but I was also a full-time graduate school student. I attempted to collect student data through a variety of ways, including formal and informal assessments and listening to student anecdotes, which proved to be more difficult than anticipated. When I began writing this narrative, I had yet to step foot into a classroom and work with children. I had a different idea and perspective than I did after becoming a teacher of record. Throughout the year, my mental and physical health was altered multiple times. There were times when I let my own school work suffer in favor of my work with my students and vice versa. There were times when I fantasized about dropping out of graduate school and quit my job, and there were times when I thoroughly enjoyed working on my homework and going to work. This narrative is a reflection of those ups and downs and tracks the progress of myself and the students I have interacted with. What follows is a yearlong exploration of myself, my environment, and my students who have proven to be simultaneous sources of stress and comfort