Journal Entry 8

Journal Entry 8: September 25th

Something strange happened with Mark today after class. He stayed behind and asked me some follow-up questions on the reading we had been discussing. I thought it was a bit odd, but I didn't want to dismiss him or make him feel bad. As we were talking, he complimented my outfit. I hadn't work anything special, just a yellow blouse and black skirt. It was pretty much the same type of thing I wore to school every day. He also told me how much he liked my ponytail, but thought I might look better with my hair down. It was a little flattering, but it also made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

There was something in his eyes that made me feel like he was looking at me differently. It was almost like he was undressing me with his eyes or something. I brushed it off as just a weird feeling and tried to steer the conversation back to the reading.

After he left, I couldn't help but feel like something was off. It was like a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I couldn't shake. I kept replaying the conversation over and over in my head, trying to figure out what had made me feel so uncomfortable.

Looking back on it now, I realize that it was probably nothing. Mark is just a student who needed some extra guidance, right? I don't want to judge him unfairly or be too hard on him. Maybe I'm just being paranoid.

On a more positive note, I'm starting to feel like I really belong at this school. Some of the other teachers invited me to a small party after work today, and it was really nice to hang out with them outside of school. We talked about our classes, shared stories about our students, and even played a few board games.

It's been a while since I've had friends at work, and it was really refreshing to be able to connect with other people who understand the challenges of being a teacher. I'm looking forward to spending more time with them and getting to know them better. Who knows, maybe I'll even make some lifelong friends here.