2002-11-11
Freshmen Seminar, posted at 6:34 p.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com Today, my department head asked if I would be willing to teach Freshmen Seminar next semester. Would I ever!The course uses the Avid Program (thanks for the tip on the link error, Scout!), which was designed in 1980 to help underserved groups of students in the middle make it to college. Ever since I heard about the program here at school, I'd wanted to get into it. As much as I sometimes bitch about them, I really do love freshmen. I think the 9th grade year is such an important one, and I've relished the opportunity to work with so many freshmen in the last year and a half. I've become pretty good at dealing with them, and think this program is a damn good thing - something that teaches study skills, discussion skills, and writing skills.
I'm very excited about it. It means I'll have more than one prep, but to be honest I was a bit bored with one prep. I think it will give me an opportunity to be a better teacher for these kids than I am right now. The way my department head presented it to me was very ego-stroking. She said that Cindy - the woman in charge of the program, someone I really respect and admire, I actually replaced her here before she got this promotion - came to her and asked, "Can I please, please, please have Epiphany?". She then told me that calmness, level-headedness, and style of giving directions step by step and slowly will be a perfect fit for the course.
I'm stoked. I'll still be teaching English I, but I'll have Freshmen Seminar as well. Next semester is going to be a blast. I also can't wait to start coaching again.
As of now, though, I've got to get grades done. They're due at noon tomorrow. I wish I could have my kids do something tomorrow that will allow me to work on grades while they do something else. Fat chance, though. I'll be grading essays until at least 10pm tonight. I could be mean and just count them on the next quarter, but I've decided to stick with my word and put them on this one. It's helping most of the kids' grades, so that's good.
*** Isn't Harry Senate off of Boston Public yet? My gosh, what a drag he is! I'm so tired of his mopey character dragging down a show that can't really afford to be dragged down any more than its mediocre storylines already do! Actually, tonight's episode was pretty cool, except for Harry's scenes. Oh yeah. I hope I don't look like that annoying guy with the scruffy beard when I wear jeans and a tie. By the way, if I never have to read another freaking essay about foreshadowing in Of Mice and Men, it will be far too soon. I've got to figure out a fair way to give my different classes different writing assignments for their first major essay in English I. This is the second time I've graded them, too - these are revisions - so I'm sure that's where part of my boredom is coming from. Back to them, I suppose. My gosh, does FOX ever need a decent post-Boston Public show. Bring back Andy Richter Controls the Universe already! That and Undeclared would make a damn fine hour of TV Mondays at 9.