conference day

It's nine o'clock, and I just came upstairs from putting a double batch of brownies in the oven. (Brownies are my latest effort to bribe my students. I got an idea from a colleague-- she said to set them as a weekly reward for the top groups. I'm casting the net a little wider this week; I'll probably give it to the top half.) I promised my kids, so, I had to do it although I'm beat. We taught from 7:50-12:30 then had parent conferences from 1-7:30. I think I'm going to sleep well. My students don't realize the hours we work; they just want their stinking brownies.

The conferences went well on the whole. I inflated my grades because I know I'm a stricter teacher than they're used to, and I'm used to a ten-point scale (not the silly seven-point one this county uses). Furthermore, I have a lot to learn about teaching and communicating with the mind of a seventh grader. So, we'll give them a benefit of the doubt. I don't always communicate my expectations and directions effectively. That's my excuse anyway. I'm working on it, and I'll eventually take some education classes and figure out some theory on what I'm living right now.

Sunny side: One of my fellow teachers informed me that when he asked his class about democracy day one of his students told him that the political cartoon lady was the best. Apparently, this kid found my schpiel the most interesting and informative. Of course, the kid didn't glean my name from the interaction. But, it made me feel good. I get so little feedback and even less positive feedback. My ego will snack on this tidbit for a while. It's as my mom says, "My need for affirmation is embarrassing." It must be genetic.

I'm feeling more in control, more situated. Probably I come home tomorrow howling and ready to quit. But, I think I know where I'm headed with my kids in Language Arts. Each lesson plan comes naturally-- it's not an arduous task that feels like I'm wrestling a manatee out of the water. But, Social Studies on the other hand...

Yes, my life IS this boring. The most exciting part are the books I'm reading and my crazy friends and family. So, I might do a book review.