Did I Bite Off More Than I Can Chew?

I didn't realize how worn out I was getting until I went to America last. Suddenly, I had no responsibility, no pressure, no work, no schedule. It was weird. But it was great. And I decided that when I got back to Indonesia, I wasn't going to take on so much. Because I didn't want to be that tired again. So I didn't volunteer for a lot of things this past year. I didn't go out of my way to do any extra tutoring/teaching or be involved in any extra-curricular activities, on or off campus. I didn't even attempt to make any new friends.

The past year was very restful. But it was also kind of boring. I watched a lot of TV and went to bed early frequently. Those are not complaints in any way. But this year, I decided that I wanted to take on a little more. I didn't want to be such a homebody. I needed some balance.

Somehow "a little" turned into "way more than a little". Like, it grew exponentially. Some of it is my fault. But some of it is not. The first week of school just ended, and I already feel like I am drowning. Like maybe I could use five teaching assistants and a lifeboat.

On the plus side, though, I am sleeping great at night. And I made it through an entire week without yelling at anyone. And due to Indonesian Independence Day, I am kicking off a three day weekend.

And I had the following conversation with a student today which made me smile on the inside while I maintained a professionally stern face on the outside.

Me: When you get to part d, you don't need to write a paragraph like it says to, just discuss your answer with your partner.
Student: Do we really have to write a paragraph for part d?
Me: Uh.... I just explained that.
Student: Sorry. I was having trouble focusing, because I was busy swimming in your eyes.
Me: Then ask your partner.
Student: I'm pretty sure he was swimming too.

First Day of School

Well, after a summer break that sometimes felt too long, school has started once again. I successfully navigated the chaos and awkwardness of the first day, and now that that's over, I have the rest of the year to look forward to! Once again, I'll be teaching 9th grade Geometry, 10th grade Algebra 2, 11th grade Pre-Calculus, and 12th grade Calculus.

Some things I realized today.
- There is exactly one graduating senior who has been at this school since Kindergarten.
- I have more students this year than ever before.
- The current seniors were in 5th grade when I came to this school.
- I have taught math to my AP Calculus students for FIVE consecutive years (since 8th grade Algebra 1), which means that I have taught them longer than any other teacher at this school.

When I was introducing myself to my 9th grade Geometry class today, I told them that I hope they like me, because I might be the only math teacher they have for the rest of high school!

One teacher related thing that I absolutely hate doing is coming up with creative bulletin boards. That stuff is for elementary teachers. Unfortunately, I have one bulletin board in my classroom that I can't just leave blank all year. It would be an eyesore. So I made a tree trunk out of burlap, and I cut out tons of leaves from scraps of origami paper, scrapbook paper, and wrapping paper that I found laying around my house. And I passed them out, one to each student, in every class today. I asked them to write something encouraging on it. I said they could write whatever they wanted as long as someone else could read it and be encouraged by it. Things they wrote include:

"Jesus loves you more than you could ever imagine!!"
"Remember the important things in life. Like chocolate."
"I know you can do it."
"Smile."
"Don't worry, math is hard for the rest of us too..."
"You are not alone."
"Mon cher ami... Je suis contente d'avoir un ami comme toi."
"Let's not fail. Let's pass."
"You're awesome."
"Don't worry, there are uglier people out there."
"Keep on truckin!!!"
"Do not EVER date in high school."
"Shine bright like a diamond."
"If Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Melark can survive the hunger games twice, then you can pass this class!"
"Always love each other."
"To those who are bombarded with the workload and find it hard to be positive: God regards you a worthy servant to handle this. Don't let Him down."

I love doing bulletin boards this way because I get to see a little bit of each student's personality, right from the beginning. It also saves me from having to make something super creative. And I can leave it up all year long. It's our little encouragement tree. Here's the finished product...

So that's the end of my first day of school update. Now I'm going to go home and sleep til tomorrow.