|
11 october 2003
currently reading
just finished fareinheit 451. i needed some science fiction. my reading has taken a decidedly geeky turn of late. hm.
current listening
some really loud bird outside. it's either a massacre, or a bird date. not really sure.
|
lemme brush the dust off of this thing
Wow. It's been awhile, though it hardly seems so. My friends, colleagues, and I have been scratching our heads, wondering where the time has gone. Already, we've completed the first quarter of school. It's been good, very good. Getting to know all of these different, diverse, funny, ever-changing students--it's fun. My job doesn't seem too much like 'work' in the way to which so many of us are accustomed.
That said, I work all the time. I work day, night, and dream that I'm working when I sleep. I think up new things to do when I'm at the gym. I think of classwide projects when I'm running the creek trail. These thoughts and the time spent making them reality give me energy and make me happy. There are a lot of reasonably happy, engaged students in my classes, and that makes it worthwhile.
I've spent much of this nine weeks doing paperwork.
And that, friends, is where our enthusiasm comes to a screeching halt.
The administration thought it would be good to make me a "team leader". (Subtract two more hours of sleep every few days for your pal Kim.) In NC middle schools, you work in teams of four teachers. One is the [unfortunate] leader--I say this because the gig doesn't pay extra, like coaching and club advising. That means when the administration or guidance needs to communicate to those teachers, it goes through the team leader. Most of the time, we're good with this. However, we get a number of communications that may ask to "do this" (say, administer a career-goals assessment through Guidance). If you've been at the school for five years, it's cake--you know how to do that assessment.
All four of us are new to the school. Without directive, it can be challenging to get a stack of stuff, and have no clue how to "do" the stack.
Massive origami project has crossed my mind. Daily.
The team concept is good. It's very effective when you have parent conferences. When there are four people there telling you the same thing about your kid ("please refrain from kung-fu action during class",) parents get the message. It's good to build comradarie when you share the same 120 kids. It's good to spread around the work.
Of all my duties this year, I'm just saying...I didn't sign up to be team leader. It is tiresome. I could be encouraged to perk up a bit if there were any tangible benefit to the duty--pay bonus, team leader dinner sometime.... Geez, throw me a six-pack every now and then--anything!
For now, it's thankless extra duty. Bluck.
The teaching part is good. I like that a lot. Overall, I give this school year a thumbs-up.
I'll write more later. I really, really will. I finally feel "ahead" for awhile, so that means more writing and performance from me. Say, next weekend in Texas? Stay tuned...
|
