Very

Tuesday was a very day. I had some very good moments, and some very frustrating ones.

I tried a new activity in class, and it was AWESOME. In order to get kids more invested in STEM. So, rather than having them look at diagrams of atoms, we made our own. And rather than telling them how to create a helium atom using pipe cleaners and three different color beads, I made them figure it out on their own. And rather than ending the discussion there, I had them talk about all the ways there models were good (the smallest beads were electrons, the nucleus is tightly packed and in the center) and they ways in which their models were misleading (the electrons aren't small enough, there isn't enough empty space, orbitals are not visible). It felt good.

Except for that moment when my difficult afternoon class, after a beautifully focused start to class, listened to me describe protons as "positively-charged balls." There were giggles. I may have been one of the ones giggling.

Teaching chemistry is frustrating, though. It seems that everything I teach has to be qualified with, "That's not actually true, but you'll learn more about that next week/in high school chemistry/in college chemistry." Such as: an atom must be neutral, so it has to have the same number of protons and electrons. Next week, we get to learn why this isn't true.

Also, my buddy B had a rough week. He is learning that as he is more successful on a daily basis, he can no longer get away with messing around when he wants. It's a tough lesson to learn, and he's been pushing back. Since I have him in the last block of the day, if he is pulled out of class (or more frequently, on a transition) earlier in the day, I don't see him. I haven't seen him in class since Tuesday, although I have given him a few pep talks since then. It makes me so frustrated that he can't just get that he has to be respectful to adults, even when he doesn't agree. It's tough seeing him ball his fists in anger, with tears running down his face, because he doesn't understand that talking back is disrespectful.

I had a good swim on Wednesday morning, and a nice run in the evening. Thursday's indoor bike session was cut short, because I spent about 30 minutes fiddling with my speed/cadence sensor, and then I didn't have it in me to finish the workout. I did make an awesome dinner, though. This month, my other commitments are challenging my workouts. Tim is working long hours, and can't cook and clean every day. The first round of assessments in school start next week, and we have conferences on Thursday. I may have to schedule two early-morning workouts next week. Oy.