Spice Up Your Life, or Tell Me What You Want

Okay, okay. Here is the highly antcipated photo of 5 members of my English department (obviously the coolest ones) dressed up for Dream Job Day. We did a World Tour during 2nd hour, with at least 150 students/staff/teachers watching at one point. We even went out to the Ag building.

Way fun, but I did have the worst wig by far, and the most ridiculous outfit.

http://thenewenglishteacher.blogspot.com/

Okay, so we're in. That means that our crap is either in the garage or in the house, but that does not mean, in any way, shape or form, that we are unpacked or organized. There are pockets of organization, but nothing to constitute comfortable living just yet.

In other news, I have keys to my classroom (which is huge, underground, and contains a cool skylight) and I have my schedule. I almost pooped my pants when they told me that I get three sections of Pre-Advanced Placement 10th grade English. That means that I get all the good kids; not exactly what I thought I'd be doing in my first few years of teaching, but definately a long-term goal. I lucked out, majorly. I do also have a regular section of English 10 and a section of Communications I which concentrates on American Lit, speech, drama, poetry, a real hodgepodge. I'm way stoked. I get to teach amazing novels, which are all somewhat contraversial, but I've been assured that the community is fairly libearal and there have really never been issues with book challenges. That's the first thing I thought of when I saw some of the major lit pieces:

Catcher in the Rye
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Crucible
Of Mice and Men
Huck Finn
Lord of the Flies

I have also been given complete class plans to each of the classes I'll be teaching; I don't have to use them, but they are day to day lesson plans, and I know for a fact that this will help me greatly in getting started. I'm so grateful for everything at OHS so far; a great mentor, great co-workers, a neat and huge old school, and a wonderfully beautiful area in which to live. I can't wait to unpack all my stuff in my classroom, at least it's there now, since my mom and I brought the Pathfinder full of totes, posters, books, markers, and construction paper over on Wednesday. I can't wait to meet my kids either!

It might be a few days before I post again, since we don't have our DSL hooked up yet, and I'm writing at my parents house currently.

This is officially my last post from Bemidji. Next time you hear from me I'll be in Faribault. Peace out.