first week of class

We just completed the first three days of the new semester. Let me tell you how wonderful it is to have my own students instead of someone else's leftovers. I have been busier than I have ever been in my life, and while it's seriously depriving me of sleep, I'm happy to be working. I think I'm making up lost time for those few of months of employment.

Right now, I'm teaching honors 9, low-level 9, and low-level 12. The honors are truly a joy. It's nice to have students who try and succeed, who like school, who are motivated by grades, who listen to instructions, and who behave without question. I'm going to do a lot with these kids, and it'll be great. The low-level 9s are good for the most part, but today, I found out they are entirely susceptible to a case of the Fridays. The seniors barely have a pulse. I have them the last block of the day, which is rough. Senioritis, here we come.

So my schedule is interesting. I have the abominable first period planning. That means that when a teacher is late or needs a sub, I'll have to come to the rescue. It also means that when students need to be supervised for testing, I'll have to be there. It basically comes down to the fact that I won't be able to get any real planning done for class, which is absolutely essential. I'm not amused, but learning to deal with it. In other news, I am now sharing my classroom with a very cute Englishman, a visiting teacher, who has no permanent classroom of his own. He is using my room during first block. Good times. I haven't quite figured out how to get my room ready for my own classes with just 5 minutes between blocks, but it'll come.

Today was my first observation. The administration pulled out the big guns and sent the principal down to check things out. She was nice and decided to visit my honors class. I guess she was more interested in how I teach content rather than how I babysit and handle discipline problems. I heard she's kinda tough on observations and that she gives no positive body language. Not gonna lie, I preened when she gave me a glowing review. Woo! I had prepared a rockin' lesson for my 9th graders for yesterday and today, and it went very smoothly. They all seemed to have fun, too, and it's days like this where I can honestly say that I love my job today. These kids make it worthwhile.

On that note, I'm taking a complete break tonight. Watching a cheesy movie and trying to finish The Kite Runner. I also took a glorious nap and had some Boston Market. Life is good today.