Saturday, August 28, 2004
Hello boys and girls.
Now it's time to find out what I've been up to the past few weeks...
I'm student teaching in three English and three History classrooms. 98% of my kids are freshman, except for a few who are taking advantage of the "free public education until the age of 21" deal we have in the old US of A.
So far I mostly sit in the corner of the room and nod and smile, and occasionally say brilliant things to my students like, "So, are you having a good day?" This often earns me cold stares, although some of the honors kids are warming up to me. It's amazing that geeks a half a generation apart in age can still connect. The cool kids, however, recognize me for the NPR-listening, mismatched sock wearing hardcore nerd that I am.
I got to read my first short writing assignments from the English kids, and I immediately decided that reading student papers is one of the best parts of the job. They are so eager and innocent and sweet, you want to follow them around all day to protect them. At least half of them want to be architects, and the other ones want to be marine biologists.
On Friday I told one of the girls that my first name was, "Ms." She asked me if I got made fun of a lot in school, and I said yes, but my parents also debated naming me "Hey," so really I got off easy. She nodded very solemnly. Her friends had to tell her that I was just teasing.
Next up: "real" teaching.
Does anyone have good way for me to memorize state names, capitols, and the presidents???
Now it's time to find out what I've been up to the past few weeks...
I'm student teaching in three English and three History classrooms. 98% of my kids are freshman, except for a few who are taking advantage of the "free public education until the age of 21" deal we have in the old US of A.
So far I mostly sit in the corner of the room and nod and smile, and occasionally say brilliant things to my students like, "So, are you having a good day?" This often earns me cold stares, although some of the honors kids are warming up to me. It's amazing that geeks a half a generation apart in age can still connect. The cool kids, however, recognize me for the NPR-listening, mismatched sock wearing hardcore nerd that I am.
I got to read my first short writing assignments from the English kids, and I immediately decided that reading student papers is one of the best parts of the job. They are so eager and innocent and sweet, you want to follow them around all day to protect them. At least half of them want to be architects, and the other ones want to be marine biologists.
On Friday I told one of the girls that my first name was, "Ms." She asked me if I got made fun of a lot in school, and I said yes, but my parents also debated naming me "Hey," so really I got off easy. She nodded very solemnly. Her friends had to tell her that I was just teasing.
Next up: "real" teaching.
Does anyone have good way for me to memorize state names, capitols, and the presidents???
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
All of you people with the cool blogs with all of the exciting stuff you've been doing, you make me sick! Just kidding =) Way to be interesting.
Here's what's happened to me lately:
The apartment I moved into in May had a major air conditioner explosion and the entire place smells like a leaky basement, which is basically what it is, since it is a basement apartment.
(NEVER rent a basement apartment). The view out my bedroom window consisted of grass, dirt, squirrells, and feet walking by. So we had to move out. That's that.
Um.
I went to Lake of the Ozarks and got a sunburn.
Er.
That's about it. Oh wait! I earned enough points on my moviewatcher card to earn a free movie, and then I lost the coupon thingy, but they gave me a new one. That was a crazy day.
Well, off to brush my teeth!
Here's what's happened to me lately:
The apartment I moved into in May had a major air conditioner explosion and the entire place smells like a leaky basement, which is basically what it is, since it is a basement apartment.
(NEVER rent a basement apartment). The view out my bedroom window consisted of grass, dirt, squirrells, and feet walking by. So we had to move out. That's that.
Um.
I went to Lake of the Ozarks and got a sunburn.
Er.
That's about it. Oh wait! I earned enough points on my moviewatcher card to earn a free movie, and then I lost the coupon thingy, but they gave me a new one. That was a crazy day.
Well, off to brush my teeth!
