And the capital of Pennsylvania is...
I haven't updated this blog since...well, a long time.
I am living in Pennsylvania, but not for long. On Saturday, I move to Michigan (Orchard Lake, to be exact). This past month has gone by in a whirlwind, and I apologize to those who have tried to contact me and have gotten a very belated reply. I will get back to you, I promise.
My months pretty much go as follows: Week 1: Move to new location, meet new school contact, move into new housing arrangment (always interesting), and get to know the staff and students. Boost (try to get new students to sign up for the course). Little sleep. Calling parents, calling the office, calling students endlessly. It's a hard week. Week 2: First week of classes. This month, I've been teaching an early morning class (6:55-7:55am Monday-Thursday), an afternoon class, a five hour Sunday class (gulp) and an SAT class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It keeps me pretty busy. However, once you've prepped for most of the classes, you are alright. Week 3: More teaching, parent conferences. Week 4: Finish classes, do final paperwork, say goodbye, and move. Lather, Rinse, Repeat.
Overall, it's a very good and interesting job. I really do enjoy standing up in front of a class and teaching. The time flies by and I love it when students use what I've taught them in school. I do think that the course makes a difference. It's hard, though, to make some of the lessons interesting. I'm not a clown or an actor, so I don't like making up games or being a sideshow for the kids' enjoyment. Honestly, when you are in high school, you should be able to focus when given an interactive class. So I do my best to think of new ways to keep it interesting.
This particular school that I'm at now is great. It's a boarding/day school and the staff is really nice. They have some younger teachers (my age) and we go to games or to the bars. I haven't had much time to hang out due to the rediculous schedule and various obligations, but it's been really fun.
I went to KOP, PA this weekend to see Tim, which is always wonderful. I have the best time. This weekend, we went to see The Science of Sleep, which is directed by the same guy that directed Eternal Sunshine. It was an okay movie, I think I'd have to see it again to pick up the little nuances that I missed the first time. But the Bryn Mawr film institute is so cute, I loved it. It was me, Tim, and a bunch of other nerdy kids and it was overall perfect. We each cooked one of the two nights and generally had a good time. On Saturday, all the museums in Philly were free for college students. I dug up my UVM ID and we went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Ben Franklin Institute, the Natural History Museum, and generally walked around the people pushing for us to become vegans or consume unhealthy amounts of Red Bull. My favorite part of the day was standing on this circle in the Ben Franklin Institute NASA room with Tim and watching the moon spin over our heads. That and the IMAX movie about the Deep Sea. It's funny, because when we are together we talk about things from so long ago. It seems impossible that he's the same person I've known since I was nine...which is comforting and wonderfully strange all at once. I'm going to miss him so much when I leave the glorious state of PA.
I should really prep my lesson on SAT Math (I know...I know. I thought I'd never have to do the quadratic equations ever again, but alas). Then I have to do a bunch of stuff, teach this afternoon, and this evening. Please keep in touch--let me know what you're doing and where you're going.
Love,
A
I am living in Pennsylvania, but not for long. On Saturday, I move to Michigan (Orchard Lake, to be exact). This past month has gone by in a whirlwind, and I apologize to those who have tried to contact me and have gotten a very belated reply. I will get back to you, I promise.
My months pretty much go as follows: Week 1: Move to new location, meet new school contact, move into new housing arrangment (always interesting), and get to know the staff and students. Boost (try to get new students to sign up for the course). Little sleep. Calling parents, calling the office, calling students endlessly. It's a hard week. Week 2: First week of classes. This month, I've been teaching an early morning class (6:55-7:55am Monday-Thursday), an afternoon class, a five hour Sunday class (gulp) and an SAT class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It keeps me pretty busy. However, once you've prepped for most of the classes, you are alright. Week 3: More teaching, parent conferences. Week 4: Finish classes, do final paperwork, say goodbye, and move. Lather, Rinse, Repeat.
Overall, it's a very good and interesting job. I really do enjoy standing up in front of a class and teaching. The time flies by and I love it when students use what I've taught them in school. I do think that the course makes a difference. It's hard, though, to make some of the lessons interesting. I'm not a clown or an actor, so I don't like making up games or being a sideshow for the kids' enjoyment. Honestly, when you are in high school, you should be able to focus when given an interactive class. So I do my best to think of new ways to keep it interesting.
This particular school that I'm at now is great. It's a boarding/day school and the staff is really nice. They have some younger teachers (my age) and we go to games or to the bars. I haven't had much time to hang out due to the rediculous schedule and various obligations, but it's been really fun.
I went to KOP, PA this weekend to see Tim, which is always wonderful. I have the best time. This weekend, we went to see The Science of Sleep, which is directed by the same guy that directed Eternal Sunshine. It was an okay movie, I think I'd have to see it again to pick up the little nuances that I missed the first time. But the Bryn Mawr film institute is so cute, I loved it. It was me, Tim, and a bunch of other nerdy kids and it was overall perfect. We each cooked one of the two nights and generally had a good time. On Saturday, all the museums in Philly were free for college students. I dug up my UVM ID and we went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Ben Franklin Institute, the Natural History Museum, and generally walked around the people pushing for us to become vegans or consume unhealthy amounts of Red Bull. My favorite part of the day was standing on this circle in the Ben Franklin Institute NASA room with Tim and watching the moon spin over our heads. That and the IMAX movie about the Deep Sea. It's funny, because when we are together we talk about things from so long ago. It seems impossible that he's the same person I've known since I was nine...which is comforting and wonderfully strange all at once. I'm going to miss him so much when I leave the glorious state of PA.
I should really prep my lesson on SAT Math (I know...I know. I thought I'd never have to do the quadratic equations ever again, but alas). Then I have to do a bunch of stuff, teach this afternoon, and this evening. Please keep in touch--let me know what you're doing and where you're going.
Love,
A
posted by A at 9:27 am
1 Comments:
I think Tim is going to miss you a lot too...
And btw, the answer to your title is Harrisburg (not Philadelphia or Pittsburgh like certain others may have suggested)
Post a Comment
<< Home