Jillian's first day of Junior Field

My first day of my Junior Field experience went really well but I will admit that I was nervous. I was nervous that I was going to oversleep and I was nervous that these seventh grade students were going to tear me apart! I am doing my internship at Westminister Academy in Elizabeth New Jersey and I live in Ocean, so it is definitely a drive for me! I woke up so early this morning because I was pretty nervous but I still managed to be running late because I felt like I had all the time in the world! I hate that! So I left my house at six in the morning because I was going to show up early and try to look good on the first day. Of course I hit traffic but I managed to still make it in time to buy a chicken caesar wrap and my sugar free red bull, of course, at the Quick check! I have to eat something for lunch and it wasn't half bad! I had already met my teacher and my supervisor previously and they were both so sweet, so I felt at ease.
My cooperating teacher's name is Mr. Nick Demarco and I think he is absolutely perfect! He was so good with the students and he made it seem so easy and enjoyable, which was extremely encouraging. He made me feel so at ease and showed me around introducing me to everyone and anyone, even the janitors! I met so many of the teachers and staff and everyone seemed so nice and welcoming, which felt really nice. He also knew every student and had some cute little anecdote about them. He was filling me in on the gossip already, I knew right away we were going to get along great. We began the day doing the morning routine and the students were extremely curious as to who I was. Mr. Demarco introduced me to the class and everyone seemed to calm down and get started on their work. The first class is very diverse and the students are arranged in assigned groups. Mr. Demarco explained to me that the school stresses the importance of group work so he likes to keep them in their groups. I did notice that some students really did not seem interested in doing anything though. This was sad to me but my cooperating teacher said that sometimes it happens. He explained to me that some of the students do not care and are impossible to reach. This makes me want to try and work extra hard and maybe get them to do something at least.
The next period we were working with the "on track" students in the library. These students were so sweet but they just did not want to do any work. It was really a struggle for Mr. Demarco to get them to start working. However, once they got started they really buckled down and got the work done. He explained to me that some days it is extremely hard to get them to work but some days they want to work, it depends on how their mood is. After this period was over we had some lunch and then proceeded to our "prep time." We were hanging around with some of the other teachers and it was good to see them all working together and getting along. They all made me feel so comfortable and everyone was so nice. After prep time, we went back to the room for our last two classes of the day. These our the eigth graders! I was a bit nervous because they were extremely rowdy. Apparently their was a fight between two students the period before and that is all they wanted to talk about. Some of the students were a bit fresh and had a bit of an attitude but after a little settling down everyone got to work. We were reading "The Magican's Nephew", and then the students are working on their greek myths.
Overall, the day was very interesting. I had a really good time there because the teachers, students, and staff made me feel welcome. I love working with the students and trying to help them. I am extremely excited for the next couple weeks and look forward to the challenge.