three fourths

Wow.

The third quarter is over. Just one quarter left to teach these kids as much as possible. That's really only about 8 weeks. I really do not even know how to describe the ridiculousness of that. In just 8 weeks I will have survived the first year. Amazing.

Unfortunately it also means a ton of work to do in the next two weeks for ACE. Not so much fun. A major unit plan and another ed psych paper. Ah well, back to work.

Well....yeah

[Stage Notes:: Loafing @ cottage]
[iTunes:: Everything | Lifehouse]

Well, if there are any of you still out there, this is my November post. It does bother me that I am posting only once or twice a month. But then again I also do not like apologizing for having not writing so when I get behind I feel less and less like writing.

Life has been very, very busy. Though I suppose most people that read this could have guessed that long before even being bored enough to visit. Despite that, it has been the kind of busy that I used to dream about at gedas. Every day is more challenging than the one before it because I honestly do not know how to get students to learn. I can present material in many different ways, but that does not mean they are learning it. I wish that I could remember the ways that my teachers introduced material. While this may sound strange, it is hard to remember that there was a time that I did not know the things that I know now. Think about it though. Do you remember what it was like to learn how to multiply two digit numbers? The concept is near mind boggling to me. Go figure.

Oh well, that is part of the beauty of everything. There really is a time when we did not know things, and we are able to learn them. A process that never seems to end thankfully. For example, already today I learn that the man that founded Vassar College also founded a city of Vassar in Michigan. I also learned why some Ale's are called IPAs. Wonder what I will learn before you read this.

What have you learned that is neat or obscure lately? Please share in the comments so I know some people are still stopping by! Happy Thanksgiving!

Bat Dogs and Britney Spears

[Stage Notes:: Worn out]
[TV:: Home Improvement]

Normally I might type out an apology about not having written in a while, but lets face it, at this point it is just kinda obvious that change is most likely not going to happen. Truth is, I just haven't felt much like blogging. I do not even really know what to say.

My days tend to have the same basic structure to them. Get up, go to school, teach, each lunch, teach more, stay after school, come home, attempt to get things done, go to bed too late with not enough done, and repeat in the morning. I know that sounds rather bland and dull, and in truth the days are anything but when I am at school, but I do not know how best to convey everything that has been happening. At the end of next week, the first quarter will be over. Completely finished. 1/4 of my first year as a teacher will be done and I will have used 1/4 of the time that I have with the eighth grade. We actually thought one of the kids was going to be withdrawn this week, but fortunately he is still here. I think the best thing for him would be for him to stay the entire year, but his past and some of the drama that the girls are creating as a result of him have been making things difficult.

Outside of school, the last few weeks have been a blur of craziness with meeting new people and trying to get to know the area. I have been spending a lot of time with the JVCs, Dominican & Clarician volunteers. We have been to Stone Mountain for the laser show, worked at a fund raiser for the Sullivan Center, and gone to a couple Theology on Tap events.

Before I go, I thought I would share a couple of the more fun happenings:

One day when I was coming home from school, I was driving on the freeway and happened to notice a car ahead with a dog hanging its head out the window. Normally there would be absolutely nothing out of the ordinary about this except that in this case the dog was wearing goggles. Yup, that's right, goggles. They even looked custom made.

A few weeks ago I decided to get a haircut, and as per my usual, I chopped a bunch of hair off and cut it short (P.S. when I went to get my haircut, Kate and Elizabeth went as well. Between two hairdressers they had us all done in 20 minutes flat). Flash forward to the next day. When students come into the middle school, they come down a set of stairs that leads directly to my room, and when I looked up, there was a crowd surrounding my door. My haircut managed to set the whole middle school into a mild chaos. Kids would come to my door stare blankly, walk away to tell someone, and come back again. Mrs. D had to shoo the kids away. At the end of the day, I found out that some kids told Mrs. Abby that quote "Mr. Hepper went Britney Spears on us!"

Welcome to middle school!