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This is for MissTeacha! Thoughts about my first week at the new school in no particular order.

• My buddy – assigned to every new teacher at my school – is also my department head.  He has smoked a LOT of pot since the 70s.  He is also the union rep at my school.   He is not overly concerned about his department or how I’m doing.  I guess he thinks I’m fairly self-sufficient.  It doesn’t help that our rooms are as far away apart as possible.  Luckily a nice teacher next door to me has done an amazing job of answering all of my questions and showing me around.  Helping new teachers comes naturally to her and she has made a huge difference this week.  Every question or concern that I would normally shoot straight to my principal at my old school MUST go through my department head first here.  It adds to the sense that I’m a small, small fish in a huge pond here.  (student body of around 2000.)
• Ms. P – the teacher I replaced.  I met her at the district-wide SS inservice last week.  She “sincerely” offered to help me with anything should I have any questions.  So, having read MANY Macro syllabi over the last week, asked if she had a particular DVD that was one nearly EVERY syllabus I read.  Her response – “Oh, I never use videos in class.  Never need to.”  Great.  That’s helpful.  The next thing she says to me is this.  ”Oh, when the kids come in on the first week, they will probably complain and say we wanted Ms. P.  and throw a tantrum. When they do, tell them I said to stop being an ASS.  And be sure to say ASS. That’s how I would talk to them.”  Need I tell you how that made me fell?  I decided at that point that Ms. P and I probably wouldn’t be collaborating much this semester.  I then overheard her bragging about how she threw a kids cellphone across the field out back. : /  Did I mention they promoted this woman to be a trainer for NEW teachers?  Yeah…  Oh, and her position at my school is saved for her.  She can come back at the end of 2 years…just sayin…
• Class sizes are small.  28 has been my largest so far and that was in AP.  Some leveling has happened and will be finished by the end of next week at the latest.
• It’s strange to see kids not wearing a uniform.  I see them abusing it – mostly females – and it makes me wish we had them again.  Their shorts are crazy short here.  I know it’s hot in Florida but I don’t want to see your lady parts.  I lectured my homeroom (10th graders – not freshmen finally!) about not abusing it.  The look of horror on their faces when I told them about our old uniform policy at MCS was classic.  Hopefully I reached a few of them.
• My AP kids…A world of difference.  For one, they are not underclassmen.  I have to adjust my teaching style for an older, more mature audience.  Give me a week or two and I’ll be ok.  Secondly, they are self-motivated.  In Memphis, I had to beg, threaten, etc to get my students to read.  Here, it feels like I’m on another planet.  Case in point: I had to pass out textbooks this week.  Before I started, I told them their hw (to read and take notes for a quiz tomorrow).  Immediately they ALL (all 28) opened their books and started reading AND taking notes.  To those who don’t teach in MCS, this probably sounds trivial.  To those who do, you know how amazing this is.  These kids are in an entirely different league.  I wish kids back home could witness this kind of work ethic so they could see who they are competing with.
• Feedback from my AP class has been mixed.  I heard a rumor from my neighbor that some AP kids were complaining that my class was going kinda slow.  To be fair, I’ve had shortened classes every day so far and couldn’t get to much content in the first place.  Secondly, my pace isn’t due to a lack of notes prepared to be given.  It’s b/c most of the kids write so dang slow – even as seniors.  When I asked my 8th period about this yesterday, I was surprised by their reactions.  They shouted “NO! Don’t go faster! We think this is the perfect pace!”  Oh well.  Goes to show you that you can’t make everyone happy.  Either way I’m going to pick up the pace considerably on Monday.  Having just one semester to cover an entire course is a new experience for me.
• That brings me to my schedule.  I’m teaching 2 Honors US govt, 1 honors Econ, and 2 AP Macro and 1 Standard Govt.  Govt is mostly freshmen.  My govt honors classes are sweethearts excited to learn.  The ideal teaching environment to be honest.  My Honor Econ (seniors) are antsy – have senior-itis.  I only teach one section of Econ all year so I’m following the lessons of my neighbor so it’s going to be a fairly easy class.  I would prefer more rigor but we will see.  Teaching seniors is tricky.  They have their preconceived notions about how teachers teach at their school and aren’t motivated enough to work too hard.  They are an interesting mix of personalities.  I had one girl share with the class during a get to know you activity that she is asexual!  (No lie.)  It’s a different world than when I was in high school.
• Standard Govt will have its challenges.  I’ve already tried to call three parents. (I only “tried” b/c not one phone number in the system worked, was correct, or in service.  *sigh*) Some of the boys have already checked out of school mentally which is sad.  I waste a lot of time and energy trying to motivate those few while the others roll their eyes.  I’m making an active effort this year not to focus on those few trouble makers.  It’s not fair to the rest and I won’t let them monopolize my time or energy which has been pattern over the last few years at MCS.

Ok, that’s enough writing for now!  I hope MissTeacha enjoys this.  : )