Good Day

Today was a good day. Yesterday's training was...okay. It wasn't great, but the day off from kids wasn't bad. I didn't have a sub, but other teachers covered the class during their preps. I feel terrible about that, but it is much less chaotic than having a sub.

I came back to school to find that a student I have difficulty with is suspended for 10 days. Something about carrying a knife on the bus! Her class was sparse today, because (I found out later) a couple of girls were skipping, but I had a great time with them. I got them started on SF and began showing them October Sky. When I stopped the movie to give some historical background (about the Cold War Space Race), we had a nice impromptu discussion about space flight and astrophysics. It was awesome. When I turned on the movie, the kids were so relaxed that I was able to watch a large chunk of the film. It turns out to be absolutely perfect for SF motivation, which I had read online, but didn't know for sure. It's about a bunch of poor kids in the late 50s who try to build a rocket to launch into space, in response to the launching of Sputnik. They work despite the mocking of their peers, and end up winning the regional science fair, receiving college scholarships. Their rocket was their only chance out of their poor mining town. I almost cried when their rocket succeeded. (Based on a true story.)

My homeroom class got a lesson on organelles: nucleus, mitochondria, cell membrane, and cytoplasm. The lesson went GREAT. I got through it and gave them a chance to practice on their own. My challenging student with the potty mouth was really good. He wasn't perfect, but he sat pretty quietly and participated! He answered questions enthusiastically. This class was also curious, and I answered some miscellaneous science questions. (Why do people have thighs? To store fat for times of stress.) Curious kids are my favorite.

Lunch duty was a breeze because half of the third-graders were on a field trip.

My last class was a continuation of SF that I had started with them on Monday. There was some enthusiasm shown. The principal stopped by for a visit, and I always feel insecure around her, like I'm not good enough. She asked why I had my students were watching October Sky, and I explained that it was motivation for SF, and described the plot. She looked at me suspiciously. I think it's a great film for them to watch, and they certainly need the motivation. I keep being told that spending time on investment is important, but I always feel a little guilty, like I'm cheating. Some of the kids have gotten really excited about it, though. That's always fun to watch.

My formal observation was rescheduled for this Friday, and I'm super nervous about it. I'm going to do the organelle lesson with my other 7th grade class, so I'm happy that I got to practice it today. I think it'll go well. It's not an exceptional lesson, but it does its job. I just realized that I never did the previous lesson with them, so I may have to do that. I guess I'll do that one instead.

Yesterday, I had my apartment maid-cleaned. It looks lovely. It's a lot of money, but it's worth it to have a clean bathroom and kitchen. Tonight, I accidentally scheduled a Peapod delivery during trivia, so I'll be stuck catching up on TV-watching. Oh darn.