i spent most of last year restless.
i would run around from classes at candler to the boys and girls club to kipp ways academy in atl to the transitional homeless shelter in which i worked just trying to do something that felt meaningful and important.
i was so antsy and jittery all the time that i thought something was wrong with me.
i went to the doctor and they told me i just needed to stop drinking so much coffee. (oh and that i was a bit adhd, but that’s hardly a surprise.)
i had all this pent up energy that i needed to expel upon something.
well... i certainly do not have that problem anymore.
running a grade, managing teachers, enrolling students, teaching three blocks of algebra, amending schedules, managing a bus, lesson plans, feedback on lesson plans, one-on-ones, etc... all of that is a pretty effective means to use all of that pent up energy.
running a grade, managing teachers, enrolling students, teaching three blocks of algebra, amending schedules, managing a bus, lesson plans, feedback on lesson plans, one-on-ones, etc... all of that is a pretty effective means to use all of that pent up energy.
this job leaves little room for restlessness, and that is exactly why i love being here.
now granted, we’re still in the happy-go-lucky early stages of things, but i’m enjoying that stage as much as i possibly can.
it has been exhilarating to step back into a world that requires me to use all of my energy, vision, passion, and creativity. i am exhausted by the end of the day, but i like it that way.
it seems that my existential crises and questions seem to take a back seat when i am in the classroom. all that seems to matter are the students in front of me who need to learn how to do some math. i find that i thrive in situations in which there isn’t a lot of time to step back and methodically think through every possible action because decisions need to be made quickly, lest the children decide its their turn to run the classroom. i’ve realized just how much i love and need a job that is fast-paced and demanding. this one meets that criteria.
managing adults is its own beast... i’m working on that one. luckily, i have a killer 8th grade team, and we have had a very solid start to the year. the 8th graders are mostly calm, which is not something one can usually say about 8th graders.
my students’ math teacher last year did some bang up work, and they are coming to me with a strong math foundation, which makes me want to work even harder to get them on a college ready trajectory. we still have a long way to go, but we are currently working through saxon like some beasts.
one child told me the other day that my class was boring. i did not like that, but i remembered that my job is not to entertain the children but to teach them. sometimes in student speak... boring is synonymous with focused and productive. i am ok with both of those. boring is much better than crunk. i remember in the past hearing "we get crunk up in mr. rogers class," which meant they drove me crazy and ran me right on over. no more children. no more. however, i’m sure i could liven it up a bit. i’m working on it.
