I never finished

It occurred to me today I never finished. Oh, I finished student teaching, I passed all my tests, I cleaned all my stuff out of my room (I think) but I didn't really finish.

I didn't say goodbye to the students. I couldn't. I don't know how teachers say goodbye at the end of every school year.

So two days after I left, I was back to substitute. It had been arranged ahead of time; my supervising teacher was taking a class on a field trip, so in a way I didn't feel bad about not telling the kids I was leaving, since I knew I would see them at least one more time anyway.

I had mixed reactions. 1st period acted like they didn't notice I had been gone. 3rd period was mad because I was the sub and I made them do actual work. 6th period acted like they had not seen me in a year and all hugged me. No class 7th period, but it was cold and I had stragglers who wanted to just sit around and chat with me show up for the period. So that day I really did tell them goodbye. I will miss all of them, but especially those problem kids that got under my skin. Will they graduate? Some yes, some no. Some I can't help but worry about.

So now I'm just the sub, waiting for my own class to worry about. I can't wait!

The Saga of the Lamps and the Air Conditioner

This is the story of my classroom. You see, my teacher has lamps. Not just A LAMP --LAMPS. Her Junior Achievement Company Program made them last year as their product to sell. What is left in the room are the remnants. Every morning, we have to turn on all the lamps. Currently, there are 10. My teacher likes to turn off the overhead flourescent lights and operate just in the lamplight.

I come from the corporate world. I like flourescent lights. I have a hard time staying awake in the lamplight, especially since my teacher is also fond of playing instrumental mood music while the students are working independently on their computers. I turn back on the flourescent lights under the guise of students not being able to see their work. My teacher turns them back off.

Also, we have an air conditioner unit operated within the room. Two, in fact. My teacher is always hot; she is always turning on the air conditioners. I am always cold--I am always turning them off when she is not looking.

There is a point here. Everyone is different. When I turn on the flourescent lights, half the class asks me to turn them back off, the other half is happy they are on. Half the class is hot; half is cold. We need to learn to teach this way too! Sometimes lamps on; sometimes lamps off. Sometimes quiet, sometimes loud. Sometimes lecture, sometimes individual work. All the same is just...all the same and doesn't satisfy everyone's individual differences. Change it up!

Easy to say, harder to put in practice.