I need to invest in shoes better situated on the comfy/cute scale

[westingturtle]

So I've survived a week and a day of teaching. (We had school Monday and Tuesday last week, but they were intro days and actual class didn't start til Wednesday) It is all going surprisingly well. So well, in fact, that I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, even though I know that some of it is that I had all of my first month lesson plans

Comments

[xenokattz]

However, there's some gesture thing that happens when the gospel is mentioned and I cannot catch what it is
You make a small cross on your forehead then your lips then over your heart. Optional kissing your fingers after the heart-cross. [Insert Mission: Impossible theme]

[xenokattz]

Also for deep, deep undercover, you could walk up with your right hand over your heart (like with the Pledge of Allegiance) & you get a blessing instead of communion.

I do remember several teachers in my Catholic elementary & HS never going up though. When I was a kid, I thought it was because they had to save the rows for our class.

[westingturtle]

I do walk up and they have me cross my arms and I get a blessing. (Although one priest just stared at me until I went away). As far as I can tell, I'm the only noncatholic teacher and I have no desire to make waves/draw more scrutiny from parents then I already have as a first year teacher. They apparently hover and then attack when they sense weakness

[westingturtle]

The hands I see only hover around the face area, never the chest. Is the heart crossing optional some places?

[jasmine_rosalee]

Wow, they shake your hand?! That sounds really formal but also sort of cool...

I guess that it might just be part of the culture though? I'm surprised but that's because we never did it in Australia.

I'm glad it's going well for you - it sounds really exciting!

[westingturtle]

The first "real" day of school (when we had actual classes, not just intros and games) students barely looked up when saying good morning as they ran past me through the door. So I told them that the next day they had to shake my hand, and unless I got a greeting, eye contact, and a smile, I would not let them go. It kind of stuck, and if I don't greet them at the door they will find me wherever I am in the room.

And yes, I did have to pull two people back through the door when they tried to shake and run :)

[croissantkatie]

Congratulations on your first week!

I've always been to small schools (apart from my sixth form, which was larger than the whole of my secondary school, despite only being made up of two year groups), and I have to agree about knowing everyone. I still run into people in the village who knew me from when I was small which is rather nice.

The shaking hands and eye contact thing sounds really awesome, particularly that they're coming to find you.

The idea of religious schools has always weirded me out a bit (I'm not entirely sure that's the best way to express it, but it'll have to do), but I think that's partly a cultural thing and partly the way my family is.

I hope things continue to go well!

[westingturtle]

I'm completely bemused by religious school too. I was public school straight through University, and am cheerfully apathetic about religion. But it's a job, and a lot of the standards are set higher then they are at public schools because you can actually enforce them (which is so very very nice after parents who told their kids they didn't have to do homework), and the kids themselves are absolutely lovely.

Thanks!