ABSTRACT
Dawan Coombs begins her narration of this chapter by describing the support she received from an experienced mentor during her own student teaching experience, which illustrates a significant contrast to Rachel's experience as an intern teaching in her own classroom. Rachel's stories during the first semester of her internship depict the sense of overwhelm common in the first week as teachers try to build relationships with students while simultaneously trying to “be” a teacher. Rachel calls attention to the challenges of navigating relationships with colleagues as she makes sense of her own emerging teacher identity. She also invites readers into her seventh-grade class to explore the emotional, professional, spiritual, and practical complexities of classroom management. Rachel's stories and reflections reflect the feelings of inadequacy, the questions, and the joys felt by teachers in their first semester in the classroom.
