Everything's Magic

Second year is MAGICAL. I mean.. it's almost unbelievable how much more smoothly this year is going. I'm practically waiting for this bubble to burst, but it hasn't (yet). We're into our third week here and I'm still on cloud nine. They weren't kidding when they said your first year teaching is the hardest. Second year has been good to me thus far.

Part of it is already having a niche carved out in the school for myself. I'm still "Ms. Chew Rocks" and now more and more students in the school know it. And since I kind of have a handle on what's going on in my class already, it frees me up for other fun things at school. Like cosponsoring the Asian Club. Like helping out with the after-school tutoring program. Like maybe organizing a school wide talent show? We'll see.

The plus side of having my old curriculum from last year is that now I can improve on it. I've got my barebones skeleton of what I want to do in class.. and now there's nowhere to go but up. I made up this ridiculous lab last week to introduce the idea of average speed. It was "the Physics Triathlon" which was basically the kids making up their own silly events, measuring their time and distances for these events, and racing each other to get the higher average speeds. In my head I was like.. well maybe this will work, but if it turns out lame at least they had a chance to experience average speed in a way they might remember. In class.. it was a gajillion times better than I had imagined. They ate it up. I had my screw-ups in the hallway running hurdles over chairs that they'd set up. I had my ESL kids crawling under the tables. I had my soccer boys running an obstacle course that they made with books and stools. It was amazing. They had so much fun.. and I actually think that they learned something about average speed from it. But we'll see when I give a quiz on Friday.

My algebra class has been a bit of a challenge for me. I think this is partly because algebra always came so naturally for me, it's hard for me to break it down and think like they might think about it. Not to mention that some of my kids should be switched up to Geometry or at least Algebra Honors, so they're extremely bored as I'm going through what whole numbers and integers are. I got a good group of freshmen, though. They're so cute and bright-eyed. High school is just beginning for them, which is kind of exciting. And I guess it might be good that with me they're getting a taste of what upper-class teachers are like. I definitely don't do as much hand holding as the other freshmen teachers do. Again, we'll just have to see how that works out.

I'm excited to keep getting to know this new batch of kids I have. And to be honest, some of my repeaters are actually dead serious and my best students right now. I can't stress enough how nice it is to have some kids that I already have a relationship with in my class. I mean, I saw them almost every day for a year and now I get to see them again.

Oh and at Asian Club today I got to see one of my favorite boys from last year that I've hardly seen at all in the halls. I got a nice big (but appropriate!) hug. It's nice to know that they miss me too. AHhhhhh I'm loving second year. It's freaking magic. If you're a first year and your reading this.. wahlau please hold on because it really is worth it!!