update

There's not much excitement to report. Shocking, I know. I went to a workshop on software this morning and missed my planning period again. My planning period is fair game for all bureaucratic crap. Take, dispose of my time and sanity.

I had a great writer's group with M. 4 absent monkeys don't stop the show I'll have you know. And, I had a great chat with my other M. We chatted shoes, jobs, money, meaning of life and God's faithfulness.

I think I might have found a church to call home. Must be hesitant, but excited. We're talking Nicene Creed, Lord's Prayer, winsome expository preaching, people who brought their Bibles, Scripture reading, people who greeted me graciously that weren't "greeters", Prayer for the People, Prayer of Confession, Communion, old people, kids. We sang "Come Thou Font" and "Immortal, Invisible" instead of David Crowder and Coldplay covers. Not talk about prayer but actual prayer. Seriously, I sat by an African who gave me his bulletin because I had somehow bypassed them. My yellow flag is that there were few people my age single. But, I guess, that's pretty true about most churches.

And, I went to a McDonald's grand opening on Thursday night. I was already for some chicken supremes. But, the grand opening was catered; that's hilarious. The food was awesome. There was a live band that was good. And, we got to tour the new store. The machine's technology was insane. I chatted with a local politician that seemed authentic-- a black female Republican. She rocked.

I had an amazing long run Saturday morning that left me in a coma for the rest of day.

I started a good book, "The Lemur". It's an Irish author. I'll let you know.

My job: chaos.

ज्क्फ्ल्स्द;फजा क्ज्फ्क्ल्स्द;जफा क्ल्स्द्फ्जा; क्ज्स्द्फा

So my title is in Arabic, I guess. That's how you know I'm typing from school. I'll use this as reflection to gather speed for the work ahead of me. Some things went well. My first LA and my second SS went quite well.

There are a lot of whiners in my last class. Geez. Do some teachers actually capitulate when students whine? That wouldn't be a good lesson. That's not the one I'm teaching.

I definitely could have run my last class more effectively. When kids whine, I should ignore them or write their name on the board. I need to cut my instruction time down-- it's simply too much for most of them. And, I need to come up with a set amount of time for each segment of my class and stick with it. And, apparently I need to give vocabulary and tests to them. I've been focusing on grammar and reading.

I three meetings today: one before school and two during my planning.

Man. Must grade papers and plan.

good stuff

The rest of this week I'm going to teach the best story: Borden Deal's "Anteus". It's beautiful and poignant... whistful and honest. Ahh, my eccentricities are sure to introduce themselves to my classes in the case they haven't been already. Ah, this teaching business is humbling. I mistaught two things already. I rock. I'll just go in and edit myself. I just plead that I haven't had English grammar in over ten years-- that counts. I'll point out the need to argue points.

I had a fabulous run today. I did a speed workout and kicked the butt of the guy next to me, which is reward in itself. I'm now tired.

Today went better than Friday. But, I need to work out the kinks. I need to be rational and curious. I need to remind myself not to take things personally but to laugh at myself and my kids. I need to be painfully clear to them about my expectations.

I know what I'm going to do this week for my class. I also need to start organizing-- maybe dedicate thirty minutes a day so that it won't be so overwhelming.

I had a great chat with M. It's always so good and refreshing to catch up with her.

my weekend that was unrelated to work

On Friday night, I got a diffuser attachment at Sally's after convincing about four women in the hair appliance aisle at WalMart that I'd driven past where Sally's had been located and it was gone. No doubt they walked out of the building, glanced to their right and realized that I'm a total dingbat. Good thing that they're total strangers. Then, I came home and had a meltdown. The Chief reassurred me that it would get better in about six months; that rally speech was encouraging. I then headed over to the Y and had an excellent run. I felt so much lighter afterwards.

On Saturday, I woke up at 4:30 and FBed some people Happy Birthdays and wrote a to do list. Then, I went back to bed. I got up and proceeded to drink coffee, listen to NPR and "meditate" on nothing in particular. "Meditate" sounds much better than "sit dazed". Then I prepped for the talk about spiritual direction that I gave later that day. It was closer to a "brain drain" than say "an organized lecture". But, maybe somebody got something out of it. It was so cool to be up front and not have to hush anybody or write names on the board or refuse somebody the right to go to the water fountain.

Then I went to the Greek Festival with H. We had a great time catching up. It was so nice to spend time with her: we chatted about sewing, small groups, work, goals, her triathalon, my marathon, my jeans (I obsessed a bit just because I was excited), boys. We chuckled at the Paper Skyscraper. We had a good time.

Today I tried out the Anglican Church and my hair diffuser. Because of the diffuser and my lack of early morning pluck I was fifteen minutes late, but it was a long service. I sat between two very hospitable people: A from Ghana gave me his bulletin which I missed and L explained the history of the church and communicated that the pastor was an itenerant. I recognized the youth pastor from Regent. I think I freaked him out a teensy bit because he didn't place me.

Afterwards, I went to earthfare to gobble down lunch and do some work. Lo and behold, there was live music and free wifi in the cafe starting at 11 am or so. Rock on.

Then I got some organizational supplies from SpaceSavers, but I took to long deciding because I was late to my writing group. It was good to see the ladies. And the time writing proved fruitful because I came up with the Reagan-esque phrase: "trickle-down education".

Since coming home I've run, meditated/journaled (for real this time) and planned for next week.

yowsers

It's 5:30. I'm at school, and I have enough work to keep me here until 10pm at least. But, my mentor suggests that I leave by 6pm no matter what. Eleven hours at work is long enough.

I spent over an hour calling parents, and I reached fewer than half. My brilliant lessons and insights are getting replaced by discipline. I wish my classes were smaller. If my classes were half the size-- say 15 kids-- we could explore so much material and climb up the ladder of critical thinking. But, I'm busy hushing kids. I need to teach in private school.

I feel as if I am carrying out the tennets of classroom management. I assign seats. I have work for them to do-- not busy work, but legitimate work. I'm patrolling and moving around constantly. Yet, swear to God, there's tons of chatter... and some of the boys get up out of their seats and are in a different quadrant than assigned. I design group work because 7th graders are about as social as humans come. But, perhaps, that's a reason not to have them engage in group work.

I know pedagogy is learner-centered not teacher-centered. But, this model requires a degree of motivation from the students side. I hate it for my intelligent, hardworking students. I think I'm going to meet their needs by scheduling enrichment classes after school or during lunch. I'm not sacrificing the smart, motivated kids to placate the half-assed. On the whole, my kids are great, but I cannot manage 31 of them without some help. Hence, the phonecalls to parents. There are going to be some missed ballgames.

Ah, I need to rest this weekend-- and create a killer seating chart.

the edge

Thank God it was Tuesday all day. I would have ended up jaded if it were a Monday. I'm growing fond of my students. Seventh grade is nothing if not melodrama. Take any afterschool special and inject steroids... voila, you've got middle school. The kid who b*&^%ed me out Friday hugged me today and told me how beautiful she looked with her new highlights. She then said, "I love you" then flitted off to Spanish or Art. Her highlights did look good. With several of my students I feel like I'm walking up to a wild horse with a handful of carrots. They're amazing and skittish and I want to help.

My grammar lesson went much better today because I scaled back about ten-fold. We found the verb. Then we asked "who or what ____?" (spanked, came, were). Of course, there still be dragons in the land of modifiers. But, we tame beasts one at a time on my shift. I'm training pragmatists.

The chief's mantra: "Less is more." After I go into mind-numbing detail about the concept and activities I've planned for a class, the chief simply says, "Remember: less is more."

I had a stand off with the insurance rep. I signed up for flex medical spending, but opted out of the other insurances. She was doing a hard sell. She told me I was taking a "gigantic risk". I told her "call me Eavil Kaneevil. I like living on the edge." She didn't beg me to stay around for more chitchat.

I should have known it would be a wackadoodle day when I spied a guy driving a jeep while smoking a Sherlock Holmes inspired pipe. Twas a bit curly. Cue the crazy.

grace is good

Aahh, I feel close to rested. I'm connecting to non-job parts of me. I chatted with people about mythology and theology today. I chatted with new friends who graciously accepted my mad cap version of a meal and without a flinch. And, I chatted with old friends. Said friend dared to call me "hard-headed" when I related a recent story of woe. I told him, "Mr. Kettle, meet Ms. Pot." Not proving his point or anything. This is the same friend who has said, "I'm going to say something, then there will be a 60-second silence before you respond."

Geez, sometimes it's amazing I have any friends. My friends are a hearty breed: stout-hearted and thick-skinned. They're keepers, esp. when they have the gall to point out a flaw in a humorous way. (haha, that slant rhyme is almost as good as Dr. Seuss. Or better in a different way.)

I don't feel uber-prepared for tomorrow. That is to say, I don't have an extra hour of programming if a just in case scenario arises. But, I did run this weekend. I did come up with a seating chart and plans. And, this whole gig is flexing my prayer muscles.

I need to figure out good homework for my kids: short, sweet and relevant. I need to have a reading log on a bright piece of paper that I check weekly that is signed daily. Will work on it.