My teaching mentor sent me this quote to encourage me before she observed me this week.
"Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. They're what make the instrument stretch--what makes you go beyond the norm."
She credited it to Tyson
, and Tyson Beckford the model seemed to be a slightly ostensible and reasonable author, but I just googled the whole thing and the credit actually belongs to Cicely Tyson.
"I suspect the most important quality of a good teacher is the capacity to like people. Despite forever having to grade, you must be able to suspend judgement and appreciate people for who they are...moreover do not waste much time analyzing yourself. Good teachers cope with what life thrusts at them and don't worry about small things like consistency."
--Sam Pickering, Letters to a Teacher, page 57
Mardi Gras. Fun. Worth it.
Anne Rice. Doesn't live here anymore.
Gumbo. Try it.
Jambalaya. Don't try it. Click for explanation.
today I got to school and my fuel light (as in NEED GAS NOW, YOU DROVE PAST THE GAS STATION YOU IDIOT) was on. I knew that was probably gonna happen when I got on the freeway this morning but I figured I could make it. I did.
So I was empty and it's Valentine's Day. Kind of appropriate.
And oh yeah, my classroom was broken into last night. Three laptops that belonged to the school were taken.
I'm about done for, so I'm really glad I'm going to get 7 hours of sleep tonight. It will help me deal with the students who say, "We never learn anything in here." Sleep will help me deal with the crazy committee in my head. Sleep will help me deal with the long commute. Sleep will help me get my self-preservation back on track.
Getting back up to speed after having a week off has been pretty horrible. I feel really far behind. Three days of lots of work has helped but I feel kind of insane. I know every new teacher has moments when they say, "Why did I think I could do this? Why did I spend four years in college to do this? I am NOT going to do this again next year."
But as a friend told me last night, I'm pretty sturdy. I will get through it, and I will be the best teacher I can be. Doesn't mean I'll be a great one, but it does mean that I'm committed to showing up and following through and trying.
This is a great story. If you like Prince. Or stories about students.
So today, one of my students who has been sitting in the front row threw a wadded up piece of paper toward the trashcan. And her aim was a little off, so the paper hit me. We all started laughing, and maybe I shouldn't have, because I am always saying, "Don't throw things in my classrom." But I couldn't help it.
We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
from "I Have a Dream"
