Quick Thoughts

My black pants have chalk all over them, which I think is so cool and teacherish. My hands are also regularly covered with dry erase marker.

One of the best parts about teaching Latin is making up (and having the kids make up) example sentences. A product of today:

"The pencil that is yellow has many friends."

That was an English illustration of the relative pronoun.

I still have to take a shower and eat dinner, so I'd better run.

Peaceful Rest

I am ready to sleep. After getting up at 4 a.m. in order to fix shoddy lesson plans, my bed looks more delightful than ever. And just to prove it, here's a picture.

And here is where I am sitting right now, typing to you all.

That's all you're going to get for today, I'm afraid. Good night!

The First Day

This morning Laura and I drove to school at 7:15, just like we've been doing for the past two weeks. But today -- there were students. It was the real deal. And it was great.

It didn't go as perfectly as I had planned, but maybe that was because I hadn't planned perfectly. I made poor Laura turn the car around a quarter of the way there because I had forgotten my course policies (aka syllabuses). And once we reached the school, I realized I didn't have the lesson plans! I was praying a prayer of my own during staff devotions.

Despite all, it went well. I definitely broke the rule "don't smile before Christmas". I think you can build rapport and respect when you're joking as well or more easily than not. But that theory will be tested during the coming months, won't it!

And now, pictures!

Laura and I, off to teach. I am kind of dissappointed with how I look in such a momentous picture!

My corner.

My plant.

My desk.

Newsy News

My dear, patient friends:

Yay! Eleven comments! Time to post again.

Just kidding.

One of the real reasons I have been so remiss is that I was hoping to share photos when next I posted. However, I have been waiting for my classroom to be set up (I don't have my own homeroom, but my desk is in Mrs. Crawford's 7A) before I took pictures of everything and so I don't have any to share yet. Those are coming.

These two weeks have been unparalleled by any other experience I've had so far. And yet (most of the time) it has not felt too foreign or frightening - just natural. It has been challenging at times, and I expect even more challenges in the next week when I actually begin teaching - challenges and stress.

Well, what can I tell you all?

The school is wonderful.
The job is wonderful.
The people are wonderful.
The area is wonderful.
The grown-up life is mostly wonderful.

I bought a car.
I got car insurance.
I opened a new bank account.
I have a debit card.
I recieved my first paycheck (very important with all that buying and getting and opening and having).
I am in charge of "coffee mess" on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

I really could write an entire post on each of those topics, a feat which feels a bit overwhelming. Oh well, I'll just resolve to write more frequent, smaller posts. With school starting tomorrow, my goal will be to write one post every day for the rest of the week - to be extended if the result is a positive one.

Tonight in the Becker Kitchen

I have been measuring ears. The first number below represents the distance between the tip and the earlobe, as straight up and down as is unscientifically possible. The second number represents the width from the widest part of the ear to the place where the tragus connects to the head.

My mom's are 2" x 1.25"

Josiah's are 2.25" x 1.5"

Mine are the same as Josiah's.

My dad's are 2.5" x 2"

Calm, Cool and Collected

I have been offered a contract. It is a real job with benefits. I was complimented on my composure during the interview. Well...

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

In other news, I worked 16 hours today. For the first 13 hours I was the JBC (Judge Booth Controller) operator for the Sullivan County Election Commission in the Tennessee state house and senate primaries. That means I gave people access codes for their electronic ballots, kept track of applications for ballots, and explained to senior citizens how to use a clicker wheel to make selections. I had a great time, mainly because I got to hang out with awesome old people who

- function more slowly than I do
- have awesome Tennessee accents
- talk about going to the Cherokee casinos to "make a donation"
- share stories about dead people on buses
- hand out suar-free candy
- advise me to marry a "good Annapolis midshipman"
- wonder if hummingbirds get diabetes since they drink all that sugar water

Exciting Developments

I totally forgot about a hair appointment I had this morning. This was a very unsettling event, especially because I'm in the midst of one of the most grown-up proceedings in my life.

Last week, while checking my email at Beauford County Public Library on Hilton Head Island, I got a message from Laura Calderone telling me about her summer. She also mentioned that the school where she's teaching next year, a classical Christian school in Maryland, was in dire need of a Latin teacher. As most of you know I was not planning to teach next year because I didn't feel ready. I still don't. I mean, I miss hair appointments even when the salon calls to remind me the day before.

The night before I got the message, however, my dad had been reading to us (despite groaning and complaining) from a book he was reading about "visioneering". And although I still might not be able to define that neologism, the passage he read made me think about my long term plans and what I really want to do with my life. Teaching hasn't exactly been a life-long dream of mine, but more of a "practical" option that I might enjoy as a career. But for some reason after hearing the introduction to that book I began to envision what it might be like to teach.

Then lo and behold, here comes the email! So even though I still felt uncertain about being able to hold sway over a class room of people more than half my age, I decided it wouldn't be a good idea to just dismiss the opportunity. I decided to leave it up to the school to decide. If they needed me, I was willing and actually eager to serve in that way.

That was approximately a week ago. Since then I have completed a rather lengthy application and had my first interview with the headmaster. Today I talked to and recieved last year's lesson plans from the principle of the upper school. And tonight I have a confernce call interview with the school board, the governing body in charge of hiring. Oh yes.

I, who may become a spiritual and academic authority for dozens of young people in middle and high school, cannot keep simple scheduled appointments. It is very sobering.