Poot

I apparently have the gassy kids this year.

Yesterday, one was covering his nose in the cafeteria. When I asked him what was wrong and he told me someone had farted; I offered him the kind of wisdom only a public school teacher can impart: whoever smelt it, dealt it.

GOP Fan Club President

Today we started our elections unit. I told each class how I volunteered this weekend for one of the candidates, but I refused to reveal who. In my last class of the day the consensus was that I had volunteered and was planning to vote for McCain.

Their suspicious, they claimed, were confirmed when I allegedly "blushed" every time John McCain's name was mentioned.

I offered that I was either utterly embarrassed that they would assume I was a Republican or totally in love with John McCain. YOU BE THE JUDGE.

Doing Something Right

Thursday was the last day of school before a 10-day spring break (but, ha! we've given our little stinkers three projects to busy themselves with over the vacation). The last class at the end of the week is always a real challenge - one I liken to herding cats (it is surprising how much I relate to those fictional catboys). The last class before a long break is infinitely more maddening and just before it we had a pizza party (remember how thrilling those were?) to celebreate the fact that my math remediation class had raised over $1000 for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. There they were served caffeinated beverages and a hardy dose of unconditional praise.

With dilated blood vessels and inflated egos, those kids clamored into my classroom for 84 sweet minutes, in which I did my best to totally pump them up about graphing supply and demand and determining the equilibrium price, which, excuse me, please, is totally thrilling. They were more with me than I would expect given then circumstances when my principal came in to observe for a few minutes. When she scooted towards the door and whispered on the way out, "You've been selected as our New Teacher of the Year."

It's been one of those reflective weeks where I've looked at some of the on the spot decisions that I've made and have been disappointed by them. But I feel like teaching is about learning way more than it is about disseminating content. I am a better teacher than I was when I started in August and perhaps the fact that I do not feel like there is still so much to learn is a sign that I am doing something right.

Thanks for the nod, it feels pretty great.

My New Life

I rolled over this Sunday morning to read 8:30 on my alarm clock - this is a full three hours of decadent sleeping in as I usually rise at 5:30 to mopishly scramble to my outstretch yoga mat before I shower, eat, and drive to school.

When I worked any one of my office jobs, I'd hardly dream of coming in early and certainly if I did it was with the intention of leaving early as well. Now getting in on time makes me a bit nervous and leaving at the end of my contract hours has happened a total of one times.

There is a lot to complain about when you are a teacher and the fact that I put in these 10 to 12 hour days could certainly be at the top of the list. But it is remarkable to have a job that makes you want to work that hard. I know that I'll be eating those words in a month or so - when the whole state is test-crazy and I am recramming information into 100 fatigued little brains. When spring has blanketed the 7th grade with a fresh dusting of hormones and attitude and when all I want to do at 3 pm is clad myself in tank tops and sunglasses and be outside for hours. But, right now, with this new life - I am busy and over-extended - but happy.

Dear Potential Giver of Gifts to Teachers,

We don't need anymore tote bags. (Except maybe this one.)

Thank you for your cooperation.