Doing a little dance, throwing glitter in their eyes.
Well, I just finished another Back to School Night. This one went slightly less awkward than last year. I'm suddenly so tongue-tied and wonky around parents. I don't know what it is. Also, at Parent/Teacher functions, I always seem to wind up talking to one enthusiastic parent who dominates my attention while a line of parents wait to talk to me. That situation always makes me squirm with anxiety.
This year, however, we tried a bell schedule to keep the night going smoothly. Parents followed their student's school schedules and had a twelve minute "period" with me. So I talked about my expectations and did my little song and dance about my teaching philosophy. It made me feel like sort of a Harold Hill putting on a show to keep the parents happy, but I think they all felt confident to leave me with their children. Hah hah. Fools...erm anyways....
I even decided to get the parents to come up and play a round of "Zip Zap Zop" with me and the kids. They took to it surprisingly well. I've been told that your third year is when you really are supposed to hit your stride in teaching. The first year is all about survival. Check. Did that in spades. I still get a kick out of the fact that I was given what the administrators called "the Worst Assignment on Campus for '04-'05". Then your second year is supposed to make you numb. Check. I jumped into a lot of activities last year, pulling twelve, fourteen, and sometimes sixteen hour workdays. I was a zombie during the spring play. It was definitely a battle and it did leave me drained on some days. I was awarded "Most Headaches" at the As You Like It cast party.
So this is supposedly the magic year then. I can feel it. I'm having fun so far. I don't even have an identifiable "lame period" yet.
I'll just have to see how my tune is when M*A*S*H* starts up. We're going to do some play analysis in the production class soon, so it's only fitting we read the play in class before auditions.
Knocking on wood. Keeping fingers crossed. Not stepping on any cracks. All I need now is some voodoo witchdoctor to keep the good mojo coming. Well, I AM seeing a chiropractor.... hmmmmmmm....
[EYE AM SOFA KING WEE TODD ED]
This year, however, we tried a bell schedule to keep the night going smoothly. Parents followed their student's school schedules and had a twelve minute "period" with me. So I talked about my expectations and did my little song and dance about my teaching philosophy. It made me feel like sort of a Harold Hill putting on a show to keep the parents happy, but I think they all felt confident to leave me with their children. Hah hah. Fools...erm anyways....
I even decided to get the parents to come up and play a round of "Zip Zap Zop" with me and the kids. They took to it surprisingly well. I've been told that your third year is when you really are supposed to hit your stride in teaching. The first year is all about survival. Check. Did that in spades. I still get a kick out of the fact that I was given what the administrators called "the Worst Assignment on Campus for '04-'05". Then your second year is supposed to make you numb. Check. I jumped into a lot of activities last year, pulling twelve, fourteen, and sometimes sixteen hour workdays. I was a zombie during the spring play. It was definitely a battle and it did leave me drained on some days. I was awarded "Most Headaches" at the As You Like It cast party.
So this is supposedly the magic year then. I can feel it. I'm having fun so far. I don't even have an identifiable "lame period" yet.
I'll just have to see how my tune is when M*A*S*H* starts up. We're going to do some play analysis in the production class soon, so it's only fitting we read the play in class before auditions.
Knocking on wood. Keeping fingers crossed. Not stepping on any cracks. All I need now is some voodoo witchdoctor to keep the good mojo coming. Well, I AM seeing a chiropractor.... hmmmmmmm....
[EYE AM SOFA KING WEE TODD ED]