Hooray! I\u2019m back to my own classes today. Unfortunately, it\u2019s going to be a long day. I have periods 1 & 2 classes on Thursdays. Period 1 begins at 8:00 am. With the hour commute on the train, and the need to arrive early to make sure everything is ready, I have to leave at 6:30 am. The commute is easier at this time of the morning. I spend about 20 minutes getting the room set-up with the projector and sound hooked up and ready to go.<\/p>\n
There are four total classes of 11th<\/sup> graders (17 students per class). Two are meeting 1st<\/sup> period, and two are meeting 2nd<\/sup> period. Thomas Potter, the art teacher and I have to meet the 1st<\/sup> period combined classes and give them a spiel about our class. Then the students make their choice and off we go to our classes. I end up with 23 students, and 10 go to art. We repeat the process 2nd<\/sup> period, and I get 24 and he gets 12.<\/p>\n Thomas grew up in San Antonio, and his last teaching position was in Dallas, Oak Cliff. It was a much different scene than the Martin Cluster in Arlington where I\u2019d been teaching. He moved to Beijing last February and began teaching part-time at BHSFIC. They managed to spread him out into enough classes, and even a few technology classes to allow him to be full-time this year. He is living with his girlfriend (now fianc\u00e9) from Ireland. They spent 3 weeks this summer touring Southern China and Vietnam. It was more of a bus-riding \/ hostel sleeping type thing. They got to see a lot that country, up-clase and personal.<\/p>\n After my morning classes, I spent time working in my room, then had lunch at the school. After lunch, I walked across the street to a Starbucks for a needed caffeine \u201chit\u201d, then back to the school teachers lounge. The administration had asked if I was willing to teach a music elective for interested 10th<\/sup> graders on Thursdays. The class meets a \u201cdouble-block\u201d of periods 7 & 8. Today, we get to \u201csell\u201d our class to all the 10th<\/sup> graders. There are nine possibilities, ranging from French and Spanish classes, Math Contest, Physics, Confucius, Art, and Psychology (and Music). I put on my best \u201csell job\u201d, and ended up with no one for my class. I thought I had a few \u201chooked\u201d, but when the Math Contest guy started talking about traveling to the US for a contest, I knew I was out-matched.<\/p>\n After school, the Orchestra Club met, and played through our tune we\u2019ll perform for the Club Fair in two weeks. Rehearsal went well. I had written out the parts in \u201cFinale\u201d, imported the file into \u201cGarageband,\u201d and added some percussion and bass \u201cloops\u201d to make it a little more interesting. We all enjoyed ourselves.<\/p>\n Around 5:30, I finished up, and started home. I ran into a group of faculty headed to a \u201chotpot\u201d restaurant, and my stomach won me over. We rode the train to a station I hadn\u2019t visited before, and had a blast. Good food, and good company! I also had the chance to check out a new shopping area for \u201codds and ends\u201d. The other teachers tell me it\u2019s a good place for school supplies. I finally got home around 8:45, and Judy was already in bed, looking for musical ideas on her computer for her Christmas programs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hooray! I\u2019m back to my own classes today. Unfortunately, it\u2019s going to be a long day. I have periods 1 & 2 classes on Thursdays. Period 1 begins at 8:00 am. With the hour commute on the train, and the … Continue reading