I finally have time to sit and write something instead of quickly throwing a picture up of the house. My schedule is so much more sane than last semester. I have one school's schedule to keep track of instead of two. I teach in the mornings and then I have time in the afternoons to grade, prep, and copy. Or bring the kids to that occasional doctor's or ortho. appointment. I am smiling more, spending more time with my kids, and relaxing more in the evenings with Mike. We have started a habit of spending at least two Friday nights a month together doing something interactive. Last Friday we completed two crossword puzzles. They were easy ones, but we wanted to ease into it. This Friday we may go get some quotes on kitchens from local hardware stores.
I do miss teaching at the college. The semester has started there, and I don't mind not dealing with the placement tests, the frenzy of trying to get students to the right classes, and all the hassle that goes along with that. But I will miss the students that I would have been able to encourage and help come to peace with their math anxieties. The college students are much more mature compared to the 10th graders at the high school. Especially the upperclassman. I will miss helping that senior who waited until the last semester before graduating to take that math class.
However, there are some perks that come with teaching at the high school. Once a month, some of the moms provide a lunch or breakfast for the teachers. Today it was mexican, and it was really good. Soft or hard tacos, chicken filling, real guacamole, salsa, mexican rice... yummy! I finally feel like I know most of the teachers better and am comfortable there. I need to get a feel for the students - how to interact with them, what my place might be there. I think that it will be helping those students that are struggling, but I need to find avenues for doing that. It took all last semester just to get the feel for the schedule and the routine. My interest in teaching definately lies with the students rather than the content.
I realized the other day how much influence parents can have on their kids' tastes. Emily spends a lot of time playing SIMS (and I mean a lot). This last week she designed a Craftsman style house, complete with Stickley furniture and stained glass lighting fixtures. I wasn't sure whether to be proud of her or to be slightly appalled at the reality that I have influenced her tastes. I'm not sure how to explain this, but the thought that my children will grow up thinking that what we do in our family is normal sometimes frightens me. To be sure, Emily doesn't just design Craftsman houses, and she has a very healthy sense of independence from me. Mike would probably say just celebrate that fact that she even knows about styles of architecture. The house remodel will have both a positive educational aspect for the kids and possibly a negative response along the lines of "I will never do this with my house." As I sit here typing, Emily is designing away. She turned to me and said "This room is just too big. I can't figure out what to do with the space." I have recommended that she read "The Not So Big House" by Sarah Susanka. Maybe I'll leave it on her bed tonight...
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