Sept. 2010: Some thoughts on the 3rd year

This third year teaching is different. New rewards are emerging in my job.

For one, my most rambunctious, annoying student form last year always greets me in the hallways nowadays. He's my most frequent classroom visitor. "Hi Ms. Nelson!" he says exuberantly. It's so funny to see such a big, football guy so enthusiastic about school! He's a sharp fella, but his grades aren't anything to boast about. It's so funny how the bane of my existence one year is a ray of sunshine in the next!

Two: Last week, I realized with fresh awareness how much physical activity benefits students. I should NEVER brush the anticipatory set part of the lesson off as inconsequential. My 8th period, probably my hardest class to manage, really benefitted from acting out the attention grabber - connector - thesis illustration / scene. The students totally grasped the concept because of the brief scene when four of them got to act out pretending to be parts of a machine with interconnected, distinct motions. Acting totally perks the class up. I hope to integrate more of this acting into my teaching this year, and get away from being so wholly auditory.

Three: It's such a JOY to have former students' siblings now as my students! Enough said! I love how I can see the resemblance in their faces and sometimes also in their demeanors.

Four: overhearing this about me from a student in the hall: "That's about the only teacher I respect." Of course, that quote has a severe downside, but it did make me feel good.