Well, a cardboard tree, actually, and a paper lunar calendar. And corn husk dolls and dissected peanuts and pre-algebra and poetry and book reports and western expansion.
If you didn't already know, I've been in a long-term sub position at a French-English bilingual school since the end of April. It has been insanity. I am teaching nearly every grade, every subject from art to music to theatre to science to math to social studies.
It is awesome. The beauty/challenge of working in a tiny, tiny school is that everyone has to wear ten thousand hats. Some teachers find this overwhelming. I bathe in overwhelming. Overwhelming thrills me.
I just got done painting our set for the theatre club's play (a ten-minute bilingual rendering of 'The Ant and the Grashopper'). Two days ago I was at the planetarium examining models of the earth and the moon. On Tuesday, I will accompany the entire school in singing a song whose lyrics were penned by the 4th and 5th grades.
It is tons of work, at times incredibly frustrating and high-stress. I LOVE that.
A seven year old says to me "I learned my two lines!" and it's the happiest I've ever been. I'm more impressed by her achievement than by anything Idina Menzel has done. Does Idina Menzel know Arlene Ant's lines? I think not. I am greeted by these two lines everytime this seven-year old is in the same room with me. What has Idina done for me lately? I get no hugs from her, that's for sure. I get hugs from Arlene Ant.
In a year or two, I may actively hate my job again, but who knows? I might just still like it. At least I'll have the chance to find out, since I've been hired next year to teach kindergarten and third grade.
Friday, June 11, 2010
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2 comments:
I'm loving hearing about your adventures already! And how wonderful to be appreciated for being multitalented, instead of looked at confusedly with a "what-box-do-I-put-this-one-in?" face.
Sooooo cool.
Yes! They are so lucky to have you. At my finest moments as a teacher, I could just feel the difference I was making. The kids could drive me nuts, but in the end I loved them and loved watching them metamorphose (is that a verb?) throughout the year. This school sounds like a great place for your Renaissance Woman skills. So happy for you, Di!
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