poetry here we come

started my poetry unit today. even though i taught my own lesson all day, i didn't feel like i really had complete control. my teacher was in and out a lot and she still did attendence. i know it's not really my own classoom, but i wanted to be responsible for more than just the lesson. i've noticed i get nervous when she's in the room. you see - i don't feel nervous, but i end up droping the dry erase marker cap, fumbling over words, forgetting where i left my handouts and other dumb stuff. i guess i don't care if kids see me look stupid, it's when the adults see me that i get scared. today i had the kids write down their feelings about poetry. they could write one word, a sentence - whatever (as long as they didn't swear). then i shared about how i hated poetry at one point, but have come to love it. i hope they got something from that and i hope they will at least like poetry when the unit is over. i'm taking their "opinions on poetry" and i've made them into poems myself that i will use in another lesson. i'm struggling with keeping the chatting to a minimum. one class who was so loud while taking out paper i asked, "how do you think that went?" and they realized they had done a bad job. they realize they screw up, but they have a hard time fixing it. i don't like being the mean teacher who keeps them after the bell, but i have to show them i don't put up with any crap. i've been told i don't command their attention and that's hard for me to deal with. you see, i don't feel like i command anyone's attention. i've realized i'm very much like my dad in that way. i love my dad, but when he goes to talk or add to a story sometimes he gets lost in the chaos of the coversation and people don't hear him. i've noticed he has funny or interesting things to add, but people just don't focus on him. lately i've come to realize i'm this way too. i don't want to be loud and obnoxious, but i want people to hear me. i have good things to say! what am i to do?