Surprise! I still exist.
Hi there. At the cafe again, having a coffee, hiding from the rain and the wind. It snowed yesterday, for a bit. I think it was pretty, but unfortunately I wasn't walking around in it, I was working. I think if I were walking around in it, though, I would have missed Prague. Old town square in the snow was something pretty spectacular.
I've been going to the gym when I have time--you know, that's about once a week. It's a good gym, the YMCA. The only thing I take exception to was the fact that I was doing bench press when the radio started playing "When a man loves a woman." I'm not sure how you can work out to Rod Stewart.
Kids say the darnedest things. The other day a student was hanging out in my office when it became apparent that she thought that bald men were bald because they chose to be; e.g. by shaving their heads. Don't ask how the conversation turned that way, because it was the end of a long, long week, and really I have no idea.
Only two weeks left in the semester, and there's still about 4 weeks of things I should teach the students. I'm not sure how that's going to go, but I suspect there will be protesting... the next time I write, I'm guessing, all that will be over. Hopefully, I will still exist!
An Afternoon Cafe
I'm sitting in the Tully's Coffee on the corner of Tacoma Avenue-across the street from my flat. I'm having a coffee and writing some emails, since I recently remembered that I had an email account other than the one that gives me messages from students, parents and administrators. This weekend has been different from most, in that I haven't been to school even once. I graded exams, but I did it at home. This is an important milestone.
School goes well. I like being a teacher. It's not at all like I used to think when I was in high school, that teachers were the ones who couldn't make it in the "real world." It just shows you that high school kids don't always think. I can now attest to that fact as well. The teachers I work with are some of the most interesting people I've met, and what's particularly wonderful is the amazing diversity of talent. In most other professions, you're surrounded by people who do approximately the same thing as you, have similar educations to you, and dress more or less like you. Aside from the fact that we do, sometimes, dress alike, teaching is a refreshing change from that.
It's tough. I've made it through the first marking period and quarter grades. I've come through parent conferences with my skin intact. I've had "the meeting" with my boss, and came out with an even sunnier disposition than when I went in. And the frequency of students or parents calling me on the weekend has been relatively low. Thanks be to God. And I'm told it gets easier. (Secretly, that's what I'm banking on).
There are some things that catch you off-guard from time to time, however. Like just a few minutes ago when a couple of students from my school came in to the cafe. They aren't my students but I recognize them. And I wonder things like, do they recognize me as a teacher? Do they suppose I'm the same age as they? Do they notice that the t-shirt I'm wearing has a picture of a goat drinking a huge beer? Hm. And I think that's the eternal question.
The Calm.
Tomorrow begins parent conferences. People say that the parents are just as scared as the teachers. We'll see. I don't have too many anxieties about it. At this point, grades (quarter grades) have gone home, and comments that I wrote have gone home. C'est fait. This will just be the aftermath, so there's nothing to do but live through it. :)
Today was an interesting day. Being a White Week, I had 3 long periods today, and 2 long breaks. I had a moment, about 12:52, just after lunch, where I wasn't sure what to do. It blew me away. After 2 months of not enough seconds in the day, I finally had several to spare and I hadn't any idea what to do with them!
Meet the Parents (Part I).
Last night was "Back to School" Night, where parents come and sit through a mock "day at school," going to each of their son or daughter's classes for 10 minutes and listen to the teacher talk about the class. This had the potential for a number of tragedies, all of which I envisoned in my head before the thing started.
1) I show up to class late, forget my syllabus, and accidentally insult each parent in an unintentional yet grave manner.
2) The computer with my presentation crashes just before class.
3) The demos I'd planned go all wrong and something explodes.
4) I spill ketchup on my tie at dinner, and coffee on my slacks after it.
5) The parents ask me why the class failed my quiz.
6) Someone asks, "... and what did you teach before you were here?"
7) Someone presses me for qualifications.
8) Embedded in my chemistry audience is a real-life chemist, and embedded in my physics audience is a Doctorate in Physics.
Thankfully, aside from #5 (which actually went off OK), the thing went well. One student told me today that his Mom couldn't stop talking about how cool I was when she got home last night. Yes! (err, wait, was 'cool' what I was supposed to be going for???)
The Day "Billy" Came to Class
It was a few days ago that I noticed a new face at the back of my C-Block Physics class. This wasn't necessarily shocking. Students do change classes, and I've had a few new faces appearing in certain classes. (Not counting Chemistry, where one day I marked "Jimmy" absent when, in fact, it turned out that he wasn't even in the class--hm). But around the second day of seeing Billy, and of accepting his homework and contributions in class, I introduced myself during lab and welcomed him to class. Here's how it went down:
(Mr. W) "So, I saw you were here yesterday and I don't have a new attendance list yet--what's your name?"
(Billy) "I'm Billy."
(Mr. W) "Did you transfer in from another Physics, Billy?"
(Billy laughs. Students in back row laugh. Billy looks a little guilty.)
Turns out that "Billy" (not his real name) has a free period during my class. He's a senior, and took Honors Physics two years ago, but, in his own words, "I have a free block, and I can either do homework out there, or in here, and my friends are in here!" I said it was cool with me. After all, he doesn't have to be here, and yet he not only comes to class, but pays attention, contributes, and does the homework? It kinda rocks. I mean, my class can't be all that bad if Billy is willing to sit through it when he doesn't have to, right? :)
Who'd have pensee'd it?
It's Monday, and most of my students are out camping in the rain somewhere. Funny, I wish I could say that more often. :) No, just kidding. But they are. Really. And the rest of them are taking computer classes, learning how to type, not do drugs, important stuff like that.
Where does that leave me, you might wonder? Exactly here. In the middle school, sitting outside Room 101, typing on a laptop while I'm waiting for this period to be over. Why am I here? Why, you say, the middle school? The answer is because I will shortly be teaching French to 6th-graders. Eh, oui. Who'd have thought! I'm subbing 3 French classes a day thru Wednesday. It's a change, but ain't it cool?
For now... a plus tard tout le monde!
How Scattered Am I ?
Well, the first real week is over. It was only four days, but I think it counts. Let me sum up the week's events in a series of short, scattered, grammatically-questionable statements.
The kids are great, they make me laugh. The physics classroom is my personal stage and I have a captive audience for all of my fabulous wit (read: terrible jokes). I've never been this tired. The week is more fun than the weekend. I'm (possibly) deathly allergic to something but I don't know what. Until I find out what it is, I'm walking around with an auto-injector of epinephrine in my pocket. I'm trying a new strategy in Chemistry: Really boring typed lecture notes on powerpoint. I'm having to figure out exactly how I'm going to grade (with points and stuff). The great thing about that is the more complicated my grading scheme, the more latitude I have to mess with it. I went and sat by the sea yesterday, it made a nice sound when the water drew back over the rocks. I like living by the sea, except I like it when there's stuff there. Open expanses of horizon and beaches aren't for me. No, I like my sea to be full of boats and bridges, islands and inlets. That's why I love the Pacific Northwest. I'm hungry and probably not eating enough. Going to the doctor informed me of my current weight, which, Grandma's urging aside, I must admit is a bit low. My car hasn't been stolen yet. I might get to sub for middle school french classes in a couple of weeks when most of my students are gone on their "Outdoor Education" week. I haven't had to deal with any parents yet. My favorite pub is no longer my favorite pub because they got rid of Pilsner Urquell and replaced it with Carlsburg. Ick.
Next post I'll try to eat lunch before sitting down to type!
Grading with an Epi-Pen
Well, hello there.
I had a little adventure last night, though not really by preference. Apparently I'm allergic to something. It's either school, home, kitchen, some spice, gyros from "It's Greek to Me," apples, Columbia bread, cayenne pepper, cheap Trader Joe's Garbanzo Beans, a bad batch of basil, or, or ... I don't know.
Looking back, it was a bit scary, though I didn't necessarily feel it at the time. Over the course of an hour, my breathing became quite labored and my eyes puffed up to the point of looking simply awful. Thankfully, my friends Jon and Liz were coming over for dinner, but when they saw me, it was decided I should go to the hospital. I was epi-penned, benadryled, stuck with air tubes, and made to breathe funky stuff... man. I am fine now, a little puffy around the eyes still. But mostly apprehensive, since the offending substance may still be somewhere in my house, and I've yet to learn what it is.
Next post will be less of a downer, I promise! On the plus side, carrying an epi-pen around is neat, in an abstract kind of way. Knowing that I can always just stick myself in the leg, just like they do in movies with stars like Harrison Ford. Yeah.
After School.
Well, the first week is over, I've just checked my pulse, and you'll be happy to know it's still there. It was a short week, just 3 days. And one of the days I only had 1 class, due to our block scheduling. But to be honest, it's been A LONG TIME since Wednesday. I think it's to do with special relativity.
It was a fun week, in many ways. I got to blow up a can, shoot miniature rockets in the classroom, and play with colorful chemicals. And I got to know my kids just a bit. And as annoying as I'm sure they're going to be from time to time, I still must say, that's why I'm here. The kids are great. But oh man am I tired. So so so tired.
After school is great. When in a span of ten minutes, the halls are suddenly empty, the classrooms are quiet, and I can sit down in my office to simply breathe.
Here We Go.
This post would perhaps better be titled, "Here They Come," as that's the real kicker!
School starts tomorrow, and I can't help but reflect on this crazy journey I've taken to get here. Actually, I can. It can wait until this weekend. Right now I'm just praying that the paint can doesn't blow up before I want it to and no one gets injured in my classes. Ah, the life of a science teacher. :)
