April Break At Last!

And not a moment too soon. It's getting ugly in the classroom. Too many kids, too little prep time. Teaching the 4 classes isn't too bad since they're really all the same Prep. But the 1 class, 4 times a day is wearing. A teacher asked me if I had so-and-so in my class, I told her I did, she asked which period, I could not recall. I swear in my head the 4 classes are all one blur of faces, personalities, and issues.
It's not all bad though, some real gems are coming out. Some kids are warming up to my ways and should come around and pull through.

Those that have chosen to fritter away their time in class found out what happens on this week's quiz and will certainly find out again next time as well. Looking over the very very slender pile of turned-in homework that was due Friday before they left for break (assigned the previous Monday!) many more people are going to be in for a surprise in 2 weeks when mid-term report cards are issued.

Hard to think that I'm almost 1/2 way done with the final term of the year. Yikes. This year has flow by. Mostly probably due to the overwhelming change and excitement outside the classroom with Holden's arrival I think. Yikes, take 2, that it's closing in toward the end of the term and still no solid job prospects have surfaced. My goal is to have the job situation settled by the end of May, so about 4 more weeks of wonder, work and worry. I may find out about my current job in the next 2 weeks. Stay tuned.

Climbing the Wall

Ok,
here's my latest take on a teaching analogy. The school term is climbing wall. One of those indoor synthetic places with all the little plastic holds which can be used to make it up to the top. Those holds are the students. Some are large easy to reach and hold onto, others are thin slivers and can barely hold your weight, hurt your fingers to grip, and are always just a little too far out of reach to be really comfortable.
So you start the term at the bottom of the wall and you need to make it to the top, the end of the term. As for those holds, well in climbing you don't necessarily need to use all of the holds to make it to the top, and the students? Well maybe you don't reach all those students in the course of a term, you reach the easy ones, you get as good a grip as you can on the tough ones, and perhaps there are just some that are out of reach.

So does it work? Or perhaps it's late-year-tired-rookie thinking. Let me know.