Mothers always think their children are special, right? Well, in teaching, teachers think their students are special as well. We just think our students are special in a different way...sometimes a very, very different way. The special students always seem to come in multiples, too.
I'm off to Stanley for RA training. More on that at a later date, I'm sure.
Yesterday was the first day of school with the kiddies back. I had forgotten how high strung middle school kids are and how they always feel the need to provide a personal commentary with whatever it is you are doing…and the friend next in row provides a supplemental commentary to the first, all the while talking about how they already know how to draw and pizza is their favorite food.
Sixth graders are still really, really young, and talk a lot, but anxious to start anything new that they have never done before. Seventh graders are feeling quite a bit more confident, yet still a little scared, but better than the sixth graders. And the eighth graders, the eight graders know it all, and cannot be shown up for anything, except for the occasional seventh grader whose ego has developed a little faster than his stature.
As for the interesting students? I have one student who is mentally handicapped, who during a game of Bingo yelled out "Bingo!" after every number called, and finally at the end of the period she really did have a bingo and she won a piece of candy. Another student has the best and most full and complete red haired mullet that I have ever seen a thirteen year old pull off, especially since the eighties have been long gone for almost two decades. Another student thinks he is pretty suave and cool, and what is funny about this kid is that one of these days he is going to get a kicking by someone who really is suave and cool. A boy in the first hour class already has a crush on me, and I base this on the fact that he spends much more time looking at me and watching me than he does anything else. He is by far the most attentive, yet least productive student I have. Finally, I have the girls who think they are cute and sweet, and just want to have fun and be friends with everyone.
I it hard for me to think I will not love teaching, (despite the miserable headache I did have by noon yesterday). I'll keep everyone posted.
Thursday I returned to Middleton Middle School to attend some staff meetings and to help my supervising teacher set up the art classroom. The year will be a good one, she predicts, as we are both excited about it and have lots of cool ideas to teach the kiddos a thing or two about art, and I am adding to Mrs. Lyman’s curriculum art history. With each unit, I am to figure out a way in which to teach some art history in a stimulating way. My ultimate goal is to design a curriculum that would make the history of art a truly hands on experience. I’ll post more about it as the days give me time to refine my objectives.
As for everything else, I have been picking up as many hours at Larry Miller that I can--it being the last chance to make money before school really picks up again. I miss Bill like crazy, but he has sent me a few E-mails and I even got a phone call from him about what a great time he is having in Mexico. I’m sure that he will have plenty to blog about when he returns.
Today I helped out at the middle school registering students. It was chaos for most of the time, but I remained bright eyed and cheery. I was the one who handed the eight graders their schedules and explained the small stuff to them, (as though they really needed my help)...
This Thursday returning teachers report back to school, so that is when I really have to start buckling things down. I'll let you know how it goes.
Last night, over some amazing home made Turkey Noodle Soup and booze peaches for dessert, I was chatting with my friend Cassie about throwing pottery, and as you can imagine it took very little time for us to decide to throw some more this weekend. I immediately began thinking about what I was hoping to throw, even until I went to sleep, and I dreamt about it! I dreamt that Cassie picked up some reddish mauve, earthy colored stoneware from the Potter’s Center, only she had accidentally dropped the 25 pound hunk of clay, and with it then begin flattened on one side we had trouble getting it out of the bag. However that did not inhibit us from creating several pots and bowls. I made a huge salsa bowl for Bill that was big enough for about three bags of chips.
Hopefully, my upcoming experience throwing pottery this weekend will be as good as it was in my dream…only the salsa bowl doesn’t need to be so big.
Mike…again, excellent dinner last night!
It seems as though I am a little late in posting this blog, however I would like to think that now is better than never. Cassie and I spent some time in the pottery room at ACI this weekend and were amazingly productive. Total we threw about 11 bowls, and nearly went through 25 pounds of clay! Dispite our earlier concerns, it seems as though throwing pottery is like riding a bike, you never forget how.
On a more important note, a good friend, Arzhang is leaving for medical school. This was our last weekend with him. This makes me sad as he will sorely be missed. Good luck, Arzhang.
I've always told you that I was a football player in one of my previous lives...I just never told you I was a professional football player.
I was a mermaid once too.
I was hoping this was going to give me the same kind of satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment as other firsts in my life...the first time I rode my bike, the first time I tied my shoes, my first online shopping experience, my first time driving a car, my first art show, etc, etc, etc...but seeing how I am new to the blogging colt, I have yet to find out how cool it really is. However, I did promise my friend Mike Peck that I would mention how cool he is. Mike Peck is cool.
