----, With that Fresh Cut

Today I went 1 for 2 on new life experiences.

I did not drive the 90 min round trip journey to go to a two-hour church service. In my defense, even though RM invited me on Monday. I was never given directions. I asked a couple of times but she didn't really know how to get there, just that it was by McDonalds and Beans on the highway. I probably could have found it, but that was a good enough excuse for me to put it off until after break. I don't think I really have the energy right now to go to a two-hour church service, drive and hour and a half and get through these last two days before break.

I did, however, let WR (aka T) cut my hair on the stage in the gym during the Thrift Shop, as they called it. The four dollars I spent is about four more than I usually spend on a hair cut, but the money goes to the senior trip and a great story, not to mention a fresh line. I didn't get it that short (3/8") but T did insist on the clean line and whom am I to refuse? So, the edges of my haircut are very crisp and defined at precise angles. T decided against shaving anything else into my scalp, which is good in the long run. T was a little shocked at first at how much hair I had. But, he did pretty well. I have no complaints. He seemed pretty happy with himself whenever I saw him for the rest of the day. I'm sure he'll brag a little in Alg II tomorrow as well, but that's his right. He's the artist.

By the way, in case you were wondering. The Thrift Shop consists of the senior class setting up booths in the gym selling tickets for food, soda, basketball, video games, and, yes, haircuts. After the ninth grades alloted 30 mins in the gym, class was, shall we say, interesting. After the initial dolling out of writing assignments for rapping, yelling and the like, we took about 20 minutes to get any reading done. Then another first: a student threw up in my room because of some heinous slushy that the seniors served her. So, that was a little bit of a management situation. But, in the end, we read a couple pages and then switched classes.

So, for all of you prospective/incoming MTCers anxiously reading the first-years' blogs, if you're out there at all, I'm not sure is these are reasons for or against teacher corps, or if they're things you should know before you come. In any case, maybe I could suggest a new slogan: Fresh Cuts and Throw Up, All in a Days Work.

Mundane Life Update

For the first time in recent memory, I can see my floor.

That is all.

MH says it won't last. Well, let's make "last" a relative term then, eh?

Well, I'll take next months topic since I'm late already

What should I know before arriving in June?

Consider the following questions:
What, in your life, makes you smile?
What do you need to be happy?
How assertive are you?

I'm still figuring these out. That is, the first two speak to how this experience can be very consuming in both positive and negative ways.

If you know what you enjoy and how you can use that to take a step back and breath, things might be a little smoother. I found, particularly last semester, but it remains true, that if I am not reading a book, I am less happy. Just setting aside an hour or 30 mins a night to read made life appreciably better.

What you need, however, is a different question. Do you need people around you? Stores? Supportive co-workers? Comfort food? family? close friends? animals? I have always had problems with this question, often wishing I needed less to be happy. But, the more you can think about this question and try to answer it, the better off you might be. That said, I think this experience can have the effect of helping you answer this question as you go. I wouldn't have thought I would answer it like I have been a year ago.

I am not assertive. This is often a problem. I have had to work hard at learning how to assert my authority in the classroom in ways that I am, at least, somewhat comfortable with. School is full of confrontations, tests, and limit-pushing. I was told that, but the violence, severity, frequency and scale of these happenings is still somewhat mind-boggling. If you are someone who has an attitude, can command respect in confrontation, has a big sense of self-esteem, I think you might be much better off than some others of us, particularly in the more rural schools. I know this is vague but the experience is almost indescribable. It's always a mix of large and small, always unbelievable behavior, which I need to confront. Assertiveness, I think, is a helpful skill.

You will meet lots of amazing people, lots of amazing students. You will see things you could probably never see anywhere else in the US.

In retrospect, I think there is probably very little I could have done to prepare myself. I have tried and still try to keep an open mind and take advantage of new life experiences as they arrive. So, perhaps it will be a comforting thought to say, don't worry about it. Just come on down, pack your bag and hold on tight. You'll go places and directions you didn't expect, in fact, that expectation probably couldn't even imagine.

See you in June?

What Jesus and I have in Common

Here is a small anecdote that I found entertaining as it happened to me.

Background:
I often eat lunch with the same group of ninth graders. I really enjoy this time of the day. It allows me to interact with the students in a role which is not strictly authoritarian/authoritative/in charge. I can listen to their stories, laugh with them, joke with them all without having to worry about work getting done or seeming weak in their eyes. At these lunches, the students have no shame. They will often talk of their sexual exploits (then try to ask about mine). It's a fun time.

Scene: Lunch on a typical mid-day week.

Players: DD, TB, BS, EW, and others, ME (that's me, if you're wondering)
DD: What the f*** you doing, man? Those are my tater-tots.
ME: What the frick are you doing? Is that what you said, DD?
DD: Hunh? Oh yeah, of course. What the frick.
TB: Hey, [insert my name here], that reminds me. You would have been so proud of me at the basketball game last night.
ME: Why's that?
TB: Well, I was getting really angry and pushing with this other girl and the refs were dumb. So, i was about to swear up a storm. But, instead of saying "what the f***" I though to myself, Well, what would [insert my name here] do? So, I said frick instead. And instead of saying sh*t I said shoot. Everytime.
ME: That's great. (rolling in laughter with others)
TB: So, DD. That's really what you have to start asking yourself: What would [insert my name here] do?

So, there's that.