Teacher joining mid-year faces unusual challenges
By Melissa Muntz Community Reporter

Shrewsbury - Moving into a new class in the middle of the year is always hard on the new kid. There is a sea of unfamiliar faces staring at you as you enter the room, sizing you up from the second you walk through the door.

You start to sweat, wondering if you picked the right outfit to wear, if the kids will be nice to you and hoping that you don't do or say anything stupid. It sure isn't easy being the new kid in class, but what happens when the new kid isn't a kid at all?

Colleen Kalagher has just moved into the new third-grade classroom teacher position at Paton Elementary School in Shrewsbury, one of three new elementary school positions created with funds from the district's personnel budget surplus.

Her class consists of a handful of students from each of the school's four other third-grade classrooms. Each of these students had already had two months to build relationships with both their former teacher and classmates, so Kalagher said her top priority has been getting the children to bond as a group.

"We've been doing a lot of getto know-you activities, playing a lot of games," Kalagher said.

New third-grade teacher Colleen Kalagher works on a math lesson with her students on "Dress Like Your Favorite Red Sox Player" Day at Paton School Oct. 31. PHOTO/MELISSA MUNTZ

Kalagher and her students had a get-to-know-you pizza party prior to their first day of class together, and had a big moving day where students could chose one or two friends to help them move their things to their new classroom.

Kalagher said her focus has been on making the move as fun and stress-free for the kids as possible.

"To some 8- or 9-year-olds, this is the biggest transition they've ever made, and change is scary," she said. "When you put a positive spin on it, it gives the children something to look forward to."

Kalagher said she has also encouraged the children to lean on the biggest resource they have - each other.

"They all have someone to rely on, someone who knows exactly how they feel and can help them through this," she said.

The children aren't the only ones who may have been feeling a little nervous about the new class. Kalagher said she had her own concerns about taking the job.

"The beginning of the year, you start off much stricter to set limits, then you become more laid back as the year goes on," she said. "I have to be strict now and my fear is that they're going to want to go back."

Another challenge Kalagher was concerned about was how she would take each of the former teachers' styles and meld them into one. So far, she said it's been easier than expected.

"We were doing academics on day one," she said. "The kids have really risen to the occasion, and there really haven't been any adjustment issues. They all came with smiles, ready to work."

Kalagher said she had already seen a drop in the students' anxiety levels after just two days together, and that she is confident that she and the children will have a successful year together.

She credits the smooth transition to all of the support she received from classroom aides, Principal Jayne Wilkin, Paton's other third-grade teachers, parent volunteers and everyone from town who has donated books and games to the class.

"It's a testament to the people at this school and in town that they value education and care about these kids," she said.