aliens

I was talking to Natalie about two weeks ago. I was talking to her about the things that are just plain going wrong and how I didn't really want to go back to work. She told me I could always just get abducted by aliens. She was right, aliens would be a good reason to not go back to work. Were I abducted, even if they brought me back right away, I think I would probably just let my principal know that I'd been abducted by aliens and didn't think I should come back to work . . . ever.

I thought about that again today and aliens could be kind of fun.

Although this has not been the favorite choice I've made, I'm still grateful for it. This is what I chose, this is what I wanted what I graduated college, and whatever direction this school year goes, I'm grateful to be here because I would have wondered what it would have been like and if I could have done it. I think I'm going to find out if I can do it.

As a side note, sometimes I kind of feel like I've been abducted by aliens who talk in a completely different language ("I'm finna do it!"), have strange clothes (who wears shorts over their boxers under their dress pants? really, I suddenly know too many people who do), and eat things with names like black-eyed peas, chittlens, pigs feet.

4 Weeks

I've had students for 4 weeks now, about a month. I've given a test, written referrals, stopped fights, not stopped fights, taught a little, been frustrated some, lost all my electronic files 3 times, and basically have had an experience.

I'm feeling pretty good about things right now. They could be going much better, but I think I'm going to get a handle on this school thing. I'm not teaching very much, my students have trouble quieting down, but I'm seeing some progress in that area and am very, very hopeful that I'll figure it out.

A week and a half ago I had two fights in one class period. The first I stopped, the second resulted in the police pepper-spraying everyone (I got a little of what was floating around). This last week I threw a desk in front of a student and grabbed another's belt (which she'd just taken off) in order to avert a fight. But, the most exciting news is on Friday I taught some things to some of the students in my 4th hour! I really do think I'm going to figure out how to get the class settled down and keep their interest long enough to teach them math. It's an exciting life @ Raleigh-Egypt and I think I'm going to make it.