(no subject)
Today was my second class, and it was very very fun, for the most part. There was a brand-new teacher to split the 3rd graders with. I like her, she seems calm and cool, and she's definitely more experienced than I. Mom was kind enough to drop me off, since I know the North Side of Providence like . . . like I know Russian History. Which is to say, not at all. I still believed the story about Catherine the Great and the horse until two weeks ago, when my Urban Legends book informed me it was a dirty rumor spread by her enemies shortly after her death.
Anyway, I kinda sorta know how to get there now. I just have to map out a more sidestreety route, because there's no way I'm ever biking down that part of Atwells Ave in the dark again. The slow, heavy traffic down the steep hill was bad enough. But cars were honking at me constantly (though I'm a very conscientious city biker), and three tried to back right into me.
GET OFF YOUR FUCKING SMOG-BELCHING HIGH HORSE, YOU YUPPIE CUNT!!!
That was my favorite of the spontaneous swears I shouted at various awful drivers. Yes, if you ever want to practice for playing a Nocker or becoming a Sailor, you should try biking during rush hour in at least a small city. Providence is a medium-sized city, so it has an adequate number of horrid drivers to yell at.
Anyway. The hardest part of the class was splitting the group of 16 into two. I did two dirty tricks. First, I had them all stand in a line. Of course, they stood with their friends. I had them count off "1, 2, 3". All the ones had to sit at one table, all the twos at another, all the threes at a third. And then I took 1 and half of 2 and the other teacher took 3 and the other half of 2 to the class next door.
The hard part was splitting that one table. I had to quickly count the ratio of boys to girls in each group, and try to get them both fairly equal. 3rd graders have strong homogenous bonds, so all their friends are the same gender as they. In the process, I ended up with none of the kids I had taken a shine to that first class. No C, no J, no L. Ah, well, maybe that's for the best. I'll still see all of them at the beginning, and the other teacher and I will coordinate to have water breaks at the same time once a week or so. M was so upset that his friends were in the other class that he was almost crying.
M is gonna be tough- he seems way more advanced than the rest of the class. I have to have special projects for each class just for him and anyone else who grasps the material especially quickly. I honestly couldn't keep him entertained, he was just too fast at completing the tests and the tasks. The others are a pleasantly mixed bunch. They all seem very bright, but some are slow readers, some have English as a second language, and one can barely read. I'll do my best to keep them all engaged.
And, really, I'm looking forward to it. The first two classes (well, first class in my half-class) are administering a standardized test. Thursday's off, but next Tuesday the fun really begins.
Monday I administer a math test, I'd assume. But the following Monday I get to teach some 6th graders rudimentary math.
It's not going to be as effortless for me as teaching English. But if I'm stuck for synonyms or other ways to explaing concepts, I'll just ask Daddy the Mathmetician. I'm sure he'll be delighted to help me. Have I told him I'm teaching just-math as one of my classes? I should.
Tomorrow's a meeting, then I catch up on Roundabout and search intently for a second part-time job. Crunching the numbers, I could probably do fine with a minimum wage thing. But I bet I can do better, even if it's just being an assistant teacher in preschools again.
Thursday I paint. And buy Eminem's new album at midnight. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! Friday I book a snowboarding trip for me and Coyote, finally. Saturday I proctor a Practice LSAT and go to Hiddenflame. I'm looking forward to that. My character actually has a position, and it makes the game much more engaging. I hope it's a good game: I won't get to play in another one 'til January, unless we have one later this month or reschedule one of the December games.
Oh, speaking of games, I promised I'd give people more advance notice of the Winter Roundabout game. I should pick a weekend and send out the word soon. Mmmm, I think I'll wait 'til I open the forums to all. The graphics are almost done.
Anyway, I kinda sorta know how to get there now. I just have to map out a more sidestreety route, because there's no way I'm ever biking down that part of Atwells Ave in the dark again. The slow, heavy traffic down the steep hill was bad enough. But cars were honking at me constantly (though I'm a very conscientious city biker), and three tried to back right into me.
GET OFF YOUR FUCKING SMOG-BELCHING HIGH HORSE, YOU YUPPIE CUNT!!!
That was my favorite of the spontaneous swears I shouted at various awful drivers. Yes, if you ever want to practice for playing a Nocker or becoming a Sailor, you should try biking during rush hour in at least a small city. Providence is a medium-sized city, so it has an adequate number of horrid drivers to yell at.
Anyway. The hardest part of the class was splitting the group of 16 into two. I did two dirty tricks. First, I had them all stand in a line. Of course, they stood with their friends. I had them count off "1, 2, 3". All the ones had to sit at one table, all the twos at another, all the threes at a third. And then I took 1 and half of 2 and the other teacher took 3 and the other half of 2 to the class next door.
The hard part was splitting that one table. I had to quickly count the ratio of boys to girls in each group, and try to get them both fairly equal. 3rd graders have strong homogenous bonds, so all their friends are the same gender as they. In the process, I ended up with none of the kids I had taken a shine to that first class. No C, no J, no L. Ah, well, maybe that's for the best. I'll still see all of them at the beginning, and the other teacher and I will coordinate to have water breaks at the same time once a week or so. M was so upset that his friends were in the other class that he was almost crying.
M is gonna be tough- he seems way more advanced than the rest of the class. I have to have special projects for each class just for him and anyone else who grasps the material especially quickly. I honestly couldn't keep him entertained, he was just too fast at completing the tests and the tasks. The others are a pleasantly mixed bunch. They all seem very bright, but some are slow readers, some have English as a second language, and one can barely read. I'll do my best to keep them all engaged.
And, really, I'm looking forward to it. The first two classes (well, first class in my half-class) are administering a standardized test. Thursday's off, but next Tuesday the fun really begins.
Monday I administer a math test, I'd assume. But the following Monday I get to teach some 6th graders rudimentary math.
It's not going to be as effortless for me as teaching English. But if I'm stuck for synonyms or other ways to explaing concepts, I'll just ask Daddy the Mathmetician. I'm sure he'll be delighted to help me. Have I told him I'm teaching just-math as one of my classes? I should.
Tomorrow's a meeting, then I catch up on Roundabout and search intently for a second part-time job. Crunching the numbers, I could probably do fine with a minimum wage thing. But I bet I can do better, even if it's just being an assistant teacher in preschools again.
Thursday I paint. And buy Eminem's new album at midnight. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! Friday I book a snowboarding trip for me and Coyote, finally. Saturday I proctor a Practice LSAT and go to Hiddenflame. I'm looking forward to that. My character actually has a position, and it makes the game much more engaging. I hope it's a good game: I won't get to play in another one 'til January, unless we have one later this month or reschedule one of the December games.
Oh, speaking of games, I promised I'd give people more advance notice of the Winter Roundabout game. I should pick a weekend and send out the word soon. Mmmm, I think I'll wait 'til I open the forums to all. The graphics are almost done.