It's been a month...
I don't know when I posted last...but a LOT has happened.
School is going pretty well. My Freshman Seminar kids are behaved but sort of boring. I can't seem to get them interested in anything we do. They are good kids though.
My Honors English III kids are okay. I still haven't found a class as good as the first time I taught Honors English III. I have half lazy, half motivated kids. Most of them are weak writers. The majority are shy. I have a few who I know will go far. I think that by the end of the semester, they will grow up a lot. So far they aren't really bad. I'm just shocked at the lack of motivation as each year passes and I get new classes.
Yearbook is as busy as ever. I really love this year's staff so much! I like every single member! They all work so hard. Heather is doing such an amazing job as editor. I'm so proud of her. We're waiting to hear from the American Scholastic Press Association about our 2009 yearbook's award status. We should know by Friday how awesome (or not awesome) it is.
The new math teacher, Capacetti, and I hit it off instantly. He's pretty awesome. Everyone has a freakin' crush on him, haha. He's Puerto Rican but has an Italian name; that confuses everyone. I love how passionate he is about his students (like I am about mine). He plays guitar, sings, Salsa dances (he's teaching me), and is really sweet. I really enjoy spending time with him, and he's very vocal and affectionate about his feelings towards me. We're dating as of now but trying to keep it low key. We don't act like we're dating at work, but somehow everyone knows. I suppose it's because he's always in my classroom during his spare time. I love goofing off with him. At times we have almost nothing in common it seems. Then it's like, how do we NOT have anything in common. I think it's a good mix so far. His parents really like me and mine like him. We stay at each other's house every now and then, and we talk all the time. It's pretty nice so far. We've both never dated a co-worker, and that freaks him out more than it does me. I have no idea how long this will last or if it'll get more serious, but I really like him so far.
I'm heading to dinner with the Hallmark ladies tonight, so I'm pumped about that. It's Becky's going away dinner. She's done at Hallmark and moving to Arizona by Halloween. I don't want her to move. We've become so close over this past year. I was over at her house last night and it seems sureal that she won't be around next month. I don't like it.
Oh, I didn't get Teacher of the Year for the county, but I'm still pumped that I'm WHHS's Teacher of the Year. I found out that I was runner up though. Out of 27 other teachers, that's pretty amazing. And I was one of two young teachers. The rest taught more than ten years. That makes me feel good. Every time Mr. Wright sees me, he tells whoever is around that I'm Teacher of the Year. That is kind of embarrassing. Oh yea, I get a sweet ring ($400) for free that says Teacher of the Year and has my name and stuff on it. That's pretty nice. I also got $200 (not much but definitely a plus).
I wish Danny was here. I always think about him when I think about this Teacher of the Year honor. I know he'd be so freakin' happy for me. I think I'll get his initials engraved inside the ring. I still miss him so much. My twins who just graduated wrote essays about the day he died for their first college English paper. Even though they're twins and wrote about the same day (being in my class and my reaction as well), the essays are starkly and beautifully different and touching. I love teaching so much. These kids change my life every day.
I have TONS of papers to grade. Arg. I should go. I have left out so much, I'm sure. Oh well.