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24319. Ms. No - 9/3/2008 3:18:55 AM Okay, first off, my feet hurt, but not as much as I thought they would.
The day went pretty well --- actually it went really well if I think about all the ways I could've been prepared and wasn't.
We operate on a block schedule --- all 6 periods on Mondays and then Tuesdays and Thursdays are 1, 3, 5 (my classes) and Wednesday and Friday are 2,4,6.
This means our classes on most days are 100 minutes long. Yes, 100 minutes. One. Hundred. Minutes.
I didn't get my textbook or even know what it was until I got to campus this morning and they don't yet have a teacher's edition for me nor do they have the curriculum from the Drama class last year. They're trying to hunt it down, but in the meantime I'll get to meet with the English teacher who heads up the Drama Club tomorrow and I should be able to get some great info from her.
I had no idea who my students would be until ten minutes before my first class, so seating charts were out as were student files. This wasn't too awfully bad, but I'll definitely have charts for Thursday.
My first period classroom only just seats all 30 of my students and there's not a lot of space for movement although we do have access to the stage when we want it. first period students were pretty good overall. There was more random chatter than I would've liked, but they were good about calming down when asked. Some jokesters but nothing malicious and I think we'll all get along great.
Third period was in a different classroom --- much larger and a few extra desks so we've got plenty of room to move when we need. This class was much more focused and less prone to chatter and outbursts for which I'm grateful since there are 34 of them.
Lunch came and fortunately there was someone to let me into the teacher's lounge since I don't yet have keys. This means I also have to find a buddy if I want to use the bathroom. Joy.
24320. Ms. No - 9/3/2008 3:19:08 AM Fifth period has a LOT of hooligans and it was the only class all day where I had to really get on students for talking. This class also seems less together overall --- the other two classes could tell me what their interests were and what they had planned for their course of study. Our school has a specific industry focus so all of the students are working on curriculum that will not only support them getting into 4-year colleges but also prepare them for a specific job field.
Fifth period had a lot of "I don't know" answers and then we had a lovely group of girls who talked about wanting to be strippers at the club their table-mate (male) is going to own. Ahem.
It actually wasn't as bad as it sounds. I knew they were playing so I played back and asked them what they were going to do when they were 24 and getting too old to strip anymore. This table of students was a bit chatty throughout, but pretty much on board with the activities and tuned into the lecture.
Ah, the lecture. I hate lecture. It's a pain in the ass for me and it's not all that exciting for the kids, but sometimes it has to happen. I impressed myself with the fact that I actually had all of this information off the top of my head --- well, I made an outline last night, but the content was all from memory.
We did an improve activity where the students got to work in small groups and then present to the class. Only a couple of the groups were cop-outs and even though I didn't get from them all what I was looking for (my fault for not understanding that they didn't understand) what I did get was a lot of students going above and beyond what was actually required for the activiy and performing some full-blown pantomime sketches.
So, of my 100 minutes I had material well in hand for 90 of it and all three classes got to work on their journals or talk quietly for the last ten minutes of class. Not too bad seeing as how I thought I'd be teaching English rather than Drama up until Friday.
The administration and staff are all lovely and very friendly. The principal stopped in at my first period class and then at my fifth period class and I just thank my lucky stars that fifth period was amazingly quiet and tuned in when he happened to drop by. If he'd seen them for the bulk of the class he might have had some concerns about me.
So, tomorrow I have no classes but I'll be on campus and will hopefully get a tour so I can find stuff. I'd also love a list of my students so I can put them in my gradebook and draw up a seating chart. Oh, and a handbook on school policy would be nice so that I know whether or not I'm throwing a monkeywrench in things by letting students out of class to use the restroom.
Ai-yi-yi. I'll get there, but man is it exhausting and a bit overwhelming. It's kind of like being taught to swim by being thrown overboard in deep water. In a storm. With circling sharks. And a flesh wound. ;-> 24321. concerned - 9/3/2008 5:12:52 AM I can count myself among the victims of Hurricane Gustav now. A remnant of the storm dumped rain on some unfinished woodwork I had outdoors while I was at work. So I'll probably have to wait a couple of days to let it dry before I resand & reseal & repaint it. 24322. alistairconnor - 9/3/2008 8:52:33 AM Ramen Noodle City and a roommate
You've captured the zeitgeist there, girl... Lovely phrase.
It sounds like you were born for the job. Well, that your character and life experience have trained you wonderfully well for it. In six months I expect you'll be running the place.
I wonder if I can get my daughter to do a guest post on her drama classes... 24323. thoughtful - 9/3/2008 1:41:30 PM congrats ms no! Nothing like finding a job you'd be happy to do for nothing and getting paid to do it besides! Sounds like a perfect match up. I'm so pleased for you! 24324. Jenerator - 9/3/2008 7:23:59 PM Ms No - great news! I am really happy for you. The kids are lucky to have such an ethusiastic teacher who has a real heart for kids. This is going to be a great year for you and for them! 24325. anomie - 9/3/2008 8:41:49 PM Ms No, My high school drama teacher is one of the few I actually remember after 35 years. Must have been all the performance-demonstration stuff. Congrats, and I too think your students are lucky to have you. They will surely remember you in Hollywood and on Broadway! 24326. Ms. No - 9/3/2008 10:14:21 PM Ha!
Tomorrow some of them are going to hate me and I have to say I'm rather pleased about it.
I finally have some clarification from administration about school policy and what I can dictate in my room. Not to mention that I finally got a copy of the school handbook AND I got my student roster.
Oh, woe to them. Assigned seating, class rules and more written work.
They'll be glad when Tuesday comes around and the sub lets them watch video. I'll be out most of the day at orientation for the district, but I'll be back in time for my fifth period lovelies.
heh, heh, heh 24327. anomie - 9/3/2008 10:17:13 PM What power! Don't let it corrupt (or disappoint) you, Ms No. It is ephemeral. 24328. anomie - 9/3/2008 10:54:16 PM One of those happy accident shots from the Chicago wedding:
 24329. anomie - 9/3/2008 10:56:06 PM I have no fucking idea why that's so pixelated! Those are shadows, but you can't really tell from this. 24330. anomie - 9/3/2008 10:58:48 PM 
24331. anomie - 9/3/2008 11:13:49 PM 
24332. anomie - 9/3/2008 11:14:31 PM Ah, a little better from Flickr. 24333. anomie - 9/3/2008 11:15:35 PM 
24334. anomie - 9/3/2008 11:18:39 PM Sorry about all that fuss, but I thought this was a very cool, (lucky!) shot. 24335. judithathome - 9/3/2008 11:37:27 PM It's fabulous! 24336. anomie - 9/4/2008 12:27:21 AM As are you, Judith! Thanks.
24337. Ms. No - 9/4/2008 5:32:37 AM What a wonderful shot, Anomie! Lucky indeed --- but what a good eye to have caught it! 24338. judithathome - 9/4/2008 2:49:27 PM I went to see the baby yesterday. She's adorable and has the knack already of arching one eyebrow like a seasoned skeptic! I'm loving this little cynic!
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