Columbus...I love you.

Thank goodness for this three day weekend. I think I was starting to lose my mind. This past week was Rockford Christian's homecoming. Talk about crazy! The kids of course not only don't want to do anything but also believe they actually shouldn't have to do anything. I am the big bad teacher because I actually had a lesson planned for Friday instead of just showing a movie or letting them sit there and do nothing.

I also agreed to let the sophomores make their homecoming banner and decorations in my room. That was a mistake. While I love those kids dearly, I also need some alone time! I hardly got anything done while they were working in my room, because I was constantly watching to make sure that paint didn't end up on my floor, or they weren't stabbing themselves with scissors, or doing anything else they shouldn't be doing. After two weeks of spending 2 1/2 hours with these kids after school, I was ready to freak out!

First quarter ends on Friday which I think is crazy! I can't believe that the school year is almost a fourth of the way over already. I am happy to be done with short stories though. As much as I love reading them, 8 weeks is a long time! This week the kids are writing their own short stories, so those should be fun to read! My freshmen are spending the next week writing a saritical essay. Those should be even more fun to read! My honors kids are turning in their outside reading papers on Tuesday, so I am going to be loaded down with grading for sure.

Second quarter is all about research papers. While I am excited to move on to something new, I am also worried about all the independent work time the students will have. It is hard for them to concentrate on their own for an extended period of time, and I struggle to decide whether I should demand silence or I should let them just waste their time and have more homework. Also, the research paper unit I taught at Guilford only lasted a few weeks. This unit has to last 8! I will be teaching grammar mini lessons throughout, so that should help.

I am spending more time reading now which is nice. I am reading Revolutionary Road. I decided I needed a break from the classics and time to just read for pleasure! The book is somewhat depressing but also good. I want to rent the movie once I finish the book. Today I bought a new book: Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria. I am excited to start reading it. While I absolutely LOVE Rockford Christian, I have been missing some of the diversity I had at Guilford (not the discipline problems, but the diversity). I have had several teaching opportunities though at RC. Most of these kids have gone to this school their entire lives and know nothing outside of it. They can't fathom that others in life have not been given the same opportunities that they have. While I personally believe I am teaching them Christian values (loving and understanding others), I also sometimes worry that my "leftist" views will get me in hot water. Since I think the kids need to hear these things, I am willing to take the risk.

Mostly, I think I am really doing a good job. I spend a lot of time not just trying to create lessons, but to make lessons that the students will actually enjoy and get something out of. If students don't think that the stories relate to their lives, they will never get anything out of them. I work hard to make connections, but I also challenge them to make the connections themselves. Likewise, I try and use song lyrics to make grammar more interesting for the freshmen. I am constantly learning, but I truly think that everyday I become a better teacher.

With all that said, I still love Columbus more than ever.