DURHAM, NC – At Creekside Elementary, Megan Reed sits in a too-small desk chair, looking around the classroom that wasn’t hers just weeks ago. The name tags on the cubbies still bear the handwriting of the teacher who had left midyear. The children are still adjusting — so is she.
Reed, a veteran teacher of 16 years, started the school year teaching first grade. However, when two teachers left in November, she was reassigned to teach second grade. As a result, Reed had to quickly learn a new curriculum and adjust to a new group of students.
“I did a lot of talking with them,” Reed said. “We talked about the fact that it’s OK to feel uncertain. It’s OK to feel nervous. I feel nervous, too. I’ve never taught second grade before, so this is going to be a new adventure for all of us, but it is a disruption.”…