Miss Kaitlyn's first day in the classroom.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’ve been teaching for ten years, but this is Miss Kaitlyn’s first day in the classroom–check the link in my sig for more details.

Finally, the snow days are over, and school begins again today. There is a two hour delay, so my little darlings won’t be here for another hour and a half, and class doesn’t start until a half hour after that.

I have a meeting with the principal and counselor in half an hour to discuss “issues” that might come up during the day. I may post a brief update during my plan period.
Expect a more thorough discussion of the day’s events after school today.

I feel giddy as a schoolgirl.

Which only makes sense, because for the first time in my life, I am.

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bounces excitedly, dances all around MPSIMS

Well?!?!? Don’t leave us in suspense!

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Congratulations, Miss Kaitlyn! I hope things go smoothly for you.

4

How old are your students? Kindergarteners may have a different reaction than (god help us) 8th graders . . .

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Good luck! We’re all rooting (well, quietly, 'cause they all think I’m a little crazy and I don’t want to make that feeling worse!) for you!

6

I’m just a tad unclear on the background here, so if you wouldn’t mind refreshing me in brief?

Is this a new class for you? Is it in the same school where you were employed before you emerged from your chrysalis? Are you going to routinely encounter students who knew you pre-chrysalis? What’s your plan if kids question you, and how likely is it that they will?

I wish you the very best of luck, btw!

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If you had clicked on the link in the sig of the OP you would know that Miss Kaitlyn is the former Mr. NumberSix.

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If you clicked on the link, then you would know I’ve been following the story closely. I re-read the thread quickly, but didn’t catch the answers to these specific questions.

(Hey, if you give snark, you get snark right back.)

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LifeOnWry, IIRC from the other thread, this is a different school across town, and the only one who knows is the principal. Kids are not likely to notice or recognize her.

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My little ones are off to lunch, so I have a few minutes to share.

Everyone knows.

The meeting with the principal, assistant principal, and counselor this morning was so they could tell me this. They don’t know how it got out, but several parents called him at home last night to ask.

One of my students asked me during the question and answer period after I introduced myself.

When I walked out of the cafeteria a few minutes ago after dropping off my class, one of the other teachers came up to me and said, “You won’t believe what one of my students just told me!”

Eve: 3rd grade, mostly 8 and 9year olds.

I don’t have much time, I’ll post again during my plan period. Or maybe after school.

11

Oh, great. Now I’m picturing this as an episode of South Park.

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Congratulations on being back in the classroom. I’m crossing my fingers, hoping that the parents and other teachers are more concerned with your credentials. Please update on how it went for the rest of the day.

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Hang in there, and keep us posted. In my experience, after the shakedown period the only ones who will care the slightest will be the parents. The kids will handle it just fine.

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Yeah, I suspect the parents are usually far more closed-minded than the kids. I hope it goes smoothly. How do you feel about being “outed” (is that even the right word?).

Best of luck, Miss Kaitlyn. Our thoughts are with you.

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oh, and please tell us what your brilliant comeback was that made them wither back into the woodwork (make it up if you have to).

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Kaitlyn I only have a few minutes, but wanted to leave you a note. I read most of your previous thread, when you announced your name change. CONGRATULATIONS! I say I read most of it because I spent the rest of the time basically crying. Crying happy tears of joy for you and your new life. I understand that there have been times of struggle and worry - but fear not. You have a great Mrs. on your side - and the two of you will strive to continue to be great for each other. I will continue to read your previous thread to hear the rest of the story. And while I have a ton of questions for you - I will wait to ask. I’m sure the other posters got to them all before me. But you certainly interest me (and not in a freaky way - lol) and I can’t wait to learn more!

GOOD FOR YOU!!! And I hope the rest of your school day was GREAT!

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Plan period.

I can’t take a long time, so I’ll just post a brief update.

The kids for the most part don’t care. After the three or four questions this morning, it hasn’t come up again.

I have little contact with other teachers during the day, so I don’t really know what they’re thinking or how they’ll react.

My principal sent out a group e-mail to all the teachers notifying us of an unscheduled meeting after the kids leave today. The subject of the meeting was left unspecified, so I’m actually kinda curious what we’ll all be talking about. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to wait an hour to find out.

I’ll be back after school for another update.

skittles Ask away. Consider this a continuation of the other thread and post your questions here.

Ill get to the questions when I have more time.

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Why Miss Kaitlyn rather than Mrs. or Ms. ? You are still married aren’t you ?
(just interested in the choice, no judgement is meant by this quesion). P.S. Better than Chocolate is a great movie, hope netflix comes through quickly for you.

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Miss Kaitlyn, let me just add my voice to the chorus and say that I hope your first day turned out well! You go, girl! You’re an inspiration!

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LifeOnWry: I think the events of the day have made the original plan moot. It’s a new school on the far side of town, where none of the students or parents were likely to recognize me, and only the principal was supposed to know.

How much I chose to reveal to the other teachers, parents, and students was up to me.

I am not ashamed of who and what I am, and I would not be lying about it, but I also recognized that as a practical matter, things would go more smoothly if the matter weren’t brought up in the first place.

We would, however, not be lying to people if it came out, or if somebody suspected and asked directly. We needed to prepare for what to do if it did.

We could just let the rumors fly, volunteer nothing, refuse to answer direct questions, which I had every right to do. My medical history is not subject to public scrutiny. The grapevine would then be people’s main source of information.

The problem with this approach would be that people would know, but they’d resent not being told, and what they’d “know” might not be the truth. “Cover ups” (for lack of a better word) can often make the situation worse.

Keep in mind here that the ultimate decision here was always mine; I could conceal or reveal as much as I wanted, and he’d back me all the way, but he woldn’t lie for me.

Plan A was to say nothing. We wouldn’t be hiding anything, we just wouldn’t be volunteering information that was nobody else’s business in that setting.

Plan B: If it did come out on it’s own, we would be completely open about it from the moment it came out, tell all of the interested parties–teachers, parents, and students, in that order if feasable, as much as they needed to know, but no more, and make that information directly availble to the public only directly from me or from him.

That’s what the situation was up to last night, and Plan A, or as I preferred to call it, Operation Obfuscate (where’s the fun in making secret plans if you can’t give them cool code names), was in effect.

My computer ate a long post a while back, so I’m going to do this in shorter pieces.