- Jumping back into 100% teaching for the first time in over a year (I was 80% last year) after a summer of desk work is fatiguing. No idea how my dear old dads does it after thirtysomething years. My voice is beat. I’m beat.
- I realize we’re all on best behavior right now but we seem to have positive chemistry – me and each of my five classes. I can work with that.
- Got a kid in sixth who’s taller than me. Something like six foot ten. Freaking me out.
- I spaced on the order of my classes and handed a Geometry activity out to an Algebra class. Really dumb. Saved myself but things were looking awkward for a second.
- Back at this dumb coffee shop planning dumb lessons. I hate to let anyone tell me “I told you so” but it’s possible I won’t be reusing as much content as I thought I would. Remains to be seen.
Year: 2007
Total 339 Posts
Tony Lucchese shakes me by the shoulders in what couldn’t possibly be a direct response to the doom and gloom of last night, but which had the same effect, regardless. Thanks, man. I’m ready.
School starts in twelve hours. I’ve come to the edge of canceling my subscription to Christian’s blog like five times already this month because his irrepressible cheer at that first fact only makes my bleak negativity that much more obvious.
It’s because I haven’t planned enough, haven’t spent enough time wading through a list of warnings I gave myself last year throughout the year. There will be consequences for that.
But mostly it’s because last year was such a good year. In my head, this year can only be as good as or worse than the last, the sophomore slump of my fourth year teaching.
I’ve gotta get that outta my head quick ’cause that kind of thinking tends to self-fulfill quick.
And this is the year of full inclusion. The same challenges as last year with a dozen learning disabilities added to each class. I’ve gotta get with it. I’ve gotta ponder the gospel according to Biggie. Successful or not, I’ll see you on the other side of today.
[Comments closed ’cause what I really need to hear right now my commenters are too polite to tell me.]
The first post of a new career-switchin’ math-teacher blogger carries a good question: how much of yourself do you share with your students on the first day?
My answer, which extends waaay past the first day:
Me, I share very little, especially at the start, where I find a teacher’s mystery and allure to be a very specific but very effective form of classroom management. Once the students feel like they have you figured out, they’re less inclined to chase you or what you’re teaching.
Share something of yourself over at his/her/couldwepleasegetagenderatleast? blog.
[Updated to correct the blogger’s gender, which is well-hidden on his about page.]
The sick new tardy policy.
Every student starts with a green passport. The green passport has boxes for eight tardies and lines for fifteen hall passes. The student shows up tardy, the teacher signs one of the boxes. The student needs a trip to the bathroom, the teacher fills out one of the lines. No one’s gotta be uptight about it or make it personal.
