Let’s just say that this is not the way I pictured starting this year off.1

There was a student up on campus yesterday that was kind enough to help me move a chair or two from my old room to the new one. His words upon seeing my new digs:

Dude. You got downgraded.2

And that’s what we love about kids, right? They don’t mince their words.

As a teacher, I suppose it’s difficult to explain to a non-teacher the significant attachment that we develop with our physical classroom. In a profession mostly devoid of “promotions” (either in pay or position), our classroom is one of the few things that is sacred to us. In other words, telling a teacher that they are being kicked out of their classroom invokes a similar “getting kicked in the gut” type of feeling that usually accompanies the words “it’s not you – it’s me”.

In truth though, the new room isn’t all that shabby. I’m seriously considering giving it a paint job one of these next two weekends, however. I miss the old pastel purple and sunshine yellow.

The first thing I moved over this morning was my coffee maker.3 Thankfully I still have a room with a sink.4 Almost enough to make it feel like “home”.

My schedule is also falling into place, but you can read about that over here if you so desire.5

12 days go to.

1. in case you missed it, I was notified yesterday afternoon that I was being moved across campus to a different classroom. [↩]
2. on a side note, does anybody remember those old “DUDE. YOU GOT A DELL” commercials? [↩]
3. wipe that look of surprise off of your face. [↩]
4. at least for now… knock on wood [↩]
5. this would be a whole other issue, altogether… [↩]

After 7 years1 of teaching, you know what I consider to be the most difficult adjustment of coming back to school after a summer of chill?

It is NOT having to wake up early... nor is it having to make lesson plans... or any of that stuff. The most difficult part of coming back to school (for *me*) is:

Having to talk all day.2

More specifically, having to use my vocal chords all day.3

I'm not the type of person that likes to talk any more than necessary to begin with, but projecting one's voice (even mildly) for three 90-minute periods each day can take some getting used to.4

This is part of the reason why I enjoy drinking coffee in the afternoons after my classes are done - it feels good on my throat after a long day of talking / facilitating / projecting / whatever.

13 days until opening day number 7.

1. Even though I started teaching mid-year in 2006-07, I did student teach during the Fall of '06, so I [sometimes] like to count that year as a whole. (this sentence has awkward grammar. my bad.) [↩]
2. A very close second is having to write legibly. [↩]
3. I'm not sure how many of my peers feel the same way -- based on the behavior I observe at most of our meetings, I would say "not many". -_- [↩]
4. Interestingly, I always feel that this is even worse on the first day back from winter break in January than it is in August. [↩]

…and as I prepare to enter year number 8 (if you round up) of teaching…

My routine for the previous 5 summers has been to start (or end) serious prepping / revamping / etc for the upcoming year ~July 10 – roughly half of the summer. This will be the first summer in 6 years that I have taken *completely* off.

This will be the first time that I will be teaching a class for the 4th year (AP Stat). The *only* other class I’ve taught even 3x was Pre-AP Algebra 2.

Each year, I have had a different class for the first period of opening day:
2007-08: Pre-AP Algebra II
2008-09: Algebra II
2009-10: Geometry
2010-11: Precalculus
2011-12: AP Statistics1
2012-13: Statistics

The only school year in which I’ve missed days due to serious physical illness (aka, more than just a “cough” or a “sneeze”) was in 2009-10. That was also the only year that I taught Geometry. Not sure what that says…

And if my memory serves me right, I have not missed a single class period of Statistics. (knock on wood)

1. this was actually 2nd period, as I had 1st period off that year [↩]