So far my kids are a lot more mellow than last year's kids were. They are doing what they are supposed to and staying out of the halls (knock loudly on wood). I think it definitely helps that I've got some experience now...I no longer feel like I'm posing as a teacher, I feel like I actually AM a teacher. My first week this year was a far cry different than my first week last year. It's been fun watching Jeremy and TR and the couple of other new teachers at our school freak out, and assuring them that it'll get better with time.
No one told me that the most rewarding part of being a teacher would be to have my kids from last year be so excited to see me and come to visit me during the day. It's been great to see them, even though I'm glad I'm not teaching them again (they're still totally nutso...their hall is scary). I've been able to give their teachers some pointers about them, and I think it's helping, so that's good too. Jeremy sent Donyae to me so I could yell at him, and he got better the next day. Carl is back, too, after a nice self-assigned 6 week vacation last year...I'm hoping to help make sure he stays in school this year. I see him about twice a day when he comes down to visit. He was the first to tell me about one of my boys getting maced at lunch...on Wednesday, the third day of school. Sounds harsh, but that's what you get when you act like you're going to punch a cop.
So I teach 5 classes, and they're already developing their own little personalities. Third period is my ultra-participatory class, and that's exciting. Last period is constantly mellow, on the verge of sleepy, but they are still getting their work done. The only class I've had real trouble with so far is my 5th period. I've assigned them essays for homework twice, assigned their seats, sent a kid out (everyone was talking, but he was the only one pretending that the kid across from him was giving him head under the table), and talked to them about how much they're going to hate doing book work all year if this behavior continues. We'll see how tomorrow goes!
Hopkins classes also started up this Thursday. I'm taking a human development class with this woman who is constantly in bad monologue mode while she talks, and who treats class like a game of mad libs ("...and the 4 goals of studying human development are...?"). The other class that night is Special Ed, taught by a slightly jaded stand-up comic type guy. It should make a nice contrast. They're both former TFA...one from the charter corps, one from the second corps. I start my third class tomorrow night - Critical Thinking, taught by the same lady who taught my Methods class last year. I think it'll be worthwhile...here's hoping.
In other news...on Saturday I went with Carla to a book give-away that was an Eagle Scout project for someone one of the TFAers knows...got a few novels for my class. People came over after that for some games and some Panda Express. Carla is the best Mario Party partner ever! Jeremy's brother and brother's friend were in town this weekend, so Matt got to play a little Nintendo. Matt and I walked down to the Walters Museum of Art yesterday to see this political cartoon exhibit...very nifty.
Then we walked to the ORIGINAL Washington Monument and climbed the stairs to the top, much to the dismay of my poor leg muscles. Our neighborhood is so awesome! It's not even tainted by the fact that apparently a decomposing body was found in the park across the street from us a few days ago. Wish I had more details on that one!
So it's off to week 2...5 days down, 175 to go.
2 comments:
Hi,
I've followed your blog for a little bit now, because I'm interested in how the teachers feel about the BCPSS. I'm a senior at school 403, and I gotta say that your lab (at least what I can see from the pics) looks a lot better than the set up we have at my school. I wish my chemistry teacher cared as much as you did!
Overall, good teachers hate BCPSS and feel like a great injustice is being done to the students in the system, and they do what they can to work around it.
The bad teachers move up in the system and become the people in charge.
I hope that you all at least have some chemicals to go with your labs...we nothing. From what I understand about your funding, at least 403 has some supplies. (This is probably part of the reason you had a 90+% pass rate on the Bio HSA, whereas my school was less than 20%). The only reason my lab looks decent is that it is one of the 4 rooms that was renovated about 6 years ago. The rest of the building is virtually uninhabitable.
Good luck in your senior year! What are you post-secondary plans?
Post a Comment