Brrr

So school's been going pretty well lately. My last two periods are severely pissing me off, but other than that people are behaving relatively well (or I've just stopped caring about their misbehavior). Still not sure anyone is actually learning though, and still haven't actually figured out how to give interesting lessons. But whatever, there's still time.

As my students have gotten more used to me, they seem to have gotten more comfortable asking me tons of off-topic questions in the middle of class. Some of these are less appropriate--"Can I have your phone number?" "Are you an atheist?" "Are you a lesbian?" "Will you be my date to homecoming?"-- but every once in a while I'll get something that I actually feel compelled to answer. One kid asked if I was mixed, and when I said no responded "oh, so you must be Polish." Not sure how that's the logical follow-up, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with how few white people they've actually talked to in their lives.  I also occasionally get vaguely science-related questions, from how Gatorade works to why pot makes you hungry. I walked out of college feeling like I had forgotten everything my classes ever taught me about science, so it's somewhat reassuring that I can actually answer all their questions.

Mostly though, talking to my students about random stuff makes me realize how intelligent and funny and interesting they are, which makes it all the more depressing when they can't do things like basic multiplication. (I can't tell you how many people answered on the first test that 11 x 10 was 121.) I feel like I'm losing some of my students by rushing through all the basic stuff, but on the other hand I don't have the time to slow down and fill in all the gaps in their basic math skills when we've got nine units of actual science content left to get to. It's difficult striking a balance between teaching them chemistry like I'm supposed to and teaching them all the pre-requisite skills they need to actually do chemistry problems, and I'm starting to see why the senior chemistry teacher only makes it through half of the course material each year.


But even though I feel like a disaster as a teacher most of the time, my department seems to think I'm extremely competent. They keep asking me to send them my TFA materials, or help them with Gradebook, or write the 5-week plans. At the last department meeting, they actually tried to ambush me into teaching AP Chemistry next year. That seems like a really absurd class for a second-year teacher to take on, especially considering its one I've never taken, but at the same time I think it'd be nice to teach students who are actually engaged and motivated. And it would make my job a little more secure when we get to the 20th day of school next year, which is always something to think about. We'll see.


I've been hanging out with my coworkers a lot lately. They're pretty much the only social contact I get these days, since god knows I don't have the energy to go out during the week (or even most weekends).  It's unbelievably nice to talk to other people who understand what's going on at our school and can commiserate about what I'm going through. My roommates, the other people I see most often and talk to most about teaching, are awesome and understand somewhat cause they're both TFA, but since one teaches in a private school and one in a charter school, it's sometimes hard for them to relate when it comes to ridiculous inefficiencies, and low expectations, and shitty teachers, and unsupportive administration, and unmotivated kids, and the list goes on... So as a result, talking to my coworkers ends up being a pretty big factor in keeping me (relatively) sane.

I think I mentioned in here that one of my good friends got laid off last week. As it turns out, she's been subbing every day, and we actually have more planning periods in common now than we did when she had a job. She also has an interview next week with an awesome school nearby, so with any luck she'll get hired there and will still be able to come out with us on Fridays. Hopefully that works out (*fingers crossed*) cause it'd suck to lose her just as I feel like I'm really becoming part of the group.

Speaking of which, I got invited to a coworker's German-themed birthday party next weekend... any costume suggestions?

And on a final unrelated note, it's cold here. Not super-cold, but cold enough that they predicted snow last weekend, and that I've been wearing the coat I wore all semester in St. Andrews on a pretty regular basis. I've been drinking a lot of warm beverages, stocking up on long-sleeved shirts, and today my roommate and I are going on an adventure to the North Face outlet in Wisconsin to hopefully buy a winter coat. Wish me luck.