One down, 179 to go!

At last, my new job started today. True, I've been doing stuff with my new colleagues for the past week or so, and setting up the room and such, but this was the first official day of the school year, and the first day with students. Yikes! It actually went pretty well, the kids are great to work with (so far), and I seem to have been warmly welcomed. Of course, most of what I taught was just about the new discipline system to my Advisory section — and due to a mix-up, that turned out to be only six freshmen.

I also got to be part of the junior class meeting, as I somehow took it upon myself to be one of the class advisers. I thought it was a way of becoming part of my new community, but of course after I signed up was when I learned that the juniors were responsible for the prom. Eek! Still, once I got back to our old house, I was able to sincerely ask Laura, "Dear, will you go with me to the prom?" I think she's now amused by the idea that I'm taking her to the prom well after we were both in high school. (For the record, we didn't meet until we were both in college. Also, this will be a big improvement over my original prom, as my then-girlfriend dumped me two days after the prom, and I suspect she kept it going long enough just to go.) While I was at it, I also asked her to the Homecoming football game, too, which is coming up in only a month now.

On the new house front, we may FINALLY be there this week! I'm signing some papers after work tomorrow. Laura is coming out Thursday morning to sign them (while I'm at work), and if all goes well, we may get cleared on Friday and we can start moving in over the long weekend — but without hot water (the gas can't be hooked up until after the weekend and someone is there) or the bulk of our furniture (moving day is now officially September 13!). And there's also all of the new appliances we need to figure out how to buy. If all doesn't go well, we can probably move in first thing next week. If all goes badly...no, best not to think along those lines.

But this is a teaching blog, yes? Today, with no true home to go to and a lot still to do, I ended up staying over three hours later, but I accomplished a lot and, while I'm not quite there yet, I'm pretty much ready for the first day of full classes tomorrow. Three sections of geometry, and one of first year algebra. That last one worries me, because as it stands right now, I think I have thirty-nine students in a classroom big enough for only about thirty, and seating right now for only twenty-four! But my principal assures me that we will get it worked out. So I get to trek in early tomorrow, gather a few more supplies and get a few more things done, and then...Well, I don't know, actually. Tune in next time to find out!

Weekend update

I'm back in the old home for a few days. Things are progressing well, but I still have a lot to do here this weekend, too. I'm driving back over early Monday morning to finish arranging and decorating my classroom, and I may actually be ready, and still have a chance for some (but not much) relaxing this weekend.

On the house front, it finally looks like we may be nearing the end of the tunnel, but it's still a pretty small light. Everything is lined up now except the escrow, but they're going to take five business days. With next Monday being a holiday, it looks like we won't be able to close until September 2 at the earliest. Oh, yay, another week in a hotel for me.

Two steps forward, two steps back

Things are still going well, under the circumstances. I now have a key to my room, and there's progress in getting it ready. The old science stuff will be moved out tomorrow, arrangements are being made to move in desks, and there's a fresh coat of paint. I also put together a chart, for myself more than anyone, of what's happening in the first few lessons, including the problems, vocabulary, and what materials we'll need. That looks pretty manageable.

I also pulled out my copy of The First Days of School to refresh myself and make sure I'm on the right track. Let's just say that I'm not pleased. Granted, I have no room yet, no home in the area (yet), no school computer, and I'm living out of a hotel room. Under those circumstances, I'm doing all right. But I have no procedures, no rules, and little idea of how to start things off on a positive note. After the disaster of my last contracted job, I vowed not to do that again, but I'm not sure if I can. Still, I have a little time next Monday, and a few other opportunities this week before I head back to the old house this weekend, so it may still happen. I just have to keep moving forward and trust that I can enough taken care of.

Today we started work and training in the school's new discipline plan. It looks good, it makes sense, it's positive, it reinforces expected behaviors, and I really wish I had this in my last job. Heck, I wish I'd had this sort of background and support when I started teaching.

We will definitely not be moving this week or weekend, so probably a few more days in the hotel next week until we get it all put together and finally sign. Even then, we're going to just be camping out in our new place for a few days until we can arrange for movers and new appliances (like we can afford that!). Meanwhile, Laura's looking at the options on the old house, which could include trying to sell again, or renting it out.

I'd better stop now, or I won't have anything to say tomorrow!

Here we go...

While I leave my poor stressed-out wife behind to deal with the houses situation — and a fine job she's doing, too, I might add (hang in there, dear, we're almost out of there!) — I got to start at last today. This is definitely going to be a different teaching experience for me, I can already tell. The district kick-off today was in the high school library. Understand, that is the entire district staff, and this is not a terribly large library. When I've done this sort of thing in the past, we'd all squeeze into the auditorium at the high school. (Come to think of it, I don't think my new school even has an auditorium. Two gyms, but no auditorium. Suddenly, my attempt to start an extracurricular drama program looks like it may be an uphill struggle.) Lots of general start-of-the-year stuff, including examining last year's state test scores and trying to figure out what to do to raise them. Let's just say that I have my work cut out for me. I've also moved my own stuff into my new room and snagged a teacher's edition of the text. I'm worried about getting the first week off to a good start with all of the house stuff on my mind and having to move between two places, but I think I can do it now.

Okay, I'm getting tired, and I still have to get up tomorrow morning for my second dat of work...

Son of a fuzzy elephant!

The new job starts in two days, and I have to start it without a house. Our attempt to buy a house has run afoul of a bunch of red tape and waiting-around-for-paperwork, so I'm going to be living out of a motel for at least a couple of days. We've had to postpone the move twice already, and our current one is the day before the first student day. So I will have to come back over the weekend, help get things ready to move, then book it back to the new place—if we have a house to move into by then. Needless to say, I am not confident about how prepared I will be for my classes. Meanwhile, the guy who put in an offer to buy our current house kept delaying and delaying, finally did an inspection, found a whole bunch of problems that we already knew about and had fully disclosed, and counter-counter-counteroffered with an insultingly low price that probably wasn't even as much as the land is worth. Needless to say, he turned down our final offer, we're walking away, and we're back at square one. Now we have to decide if we want to rent this place out, put it back on the market after we're fully out of here, or sell to a flipper or developer. I'm nervous enough about moving and starting a new job, and now I have to make these types of decisions?

Five years ago, and one week to go

My wife tells me that "I Am a Teacher" debuted five years ago today. And man, what an interesting five years it's been! At that time, I was in a similar position to where I am today: Excited about starting a new job. Back then, however, I didn't know about the impending strike or the other problems I would have. Now, I'm older and warier, but at least I think I have a more realistic idea of what I'm getting into, and what I have to do to succeed.

The new job starts one week from tomorrow with workshops and some other before-school-starts stuff. It's going to be tight, as I'll have to go over there before our stuff arrives (and, if things don't go so well, before I even move into our new house). It's going to be hectic and stressful and nerve-wracking, but once things get started, I suspect it will settle down pretty quickly.

The workshop last weekend was a good experience, and I think I'm really going to enjoy this curriculum. It turns out, by the way, that I'm not teaching first year algebra at all. Instead, I think I'll be teaching four sections of Geometry and one of Algebra II. Cool!

This week, lots of last-minute packing (as I'm watching as much of the Olympics as I can!), sealing the deal on Friday, then getting utilities switched on, off, or switched over while we inform just about everyone we can about the new phone number and address. Whee!

I've started the new job!

Okay, I've sort of started the new job. The district has put me up in a nice lakeside hotel on the other end of the state for training in the new curriculum I'll be using. And yes, that includes meals and mileage. They're being extremely nice to me, and I haven't even met any of my students or most of my colleagues. First day (of three) went well today. Nothing terribly earth-shatteringly new or different, but it does look like a good program, and I think students will enjoy it.

Meanwhile, while I'm here, Laura is at home making final arrangements for the move and everything else that can get done there, which isn't much now. We're tentatively moving on the 15th now, which is cutting it close: The new job starts on the 18th, although the first student day isn't until the 26th. It is going to be very tight getting moved into our new house and my new classroom and getting set up for the start of school and everything else. But we're on top of it, and it's probably going to go all right in the end.

It's official!

Today, I signed the contract for my new job. It still doesn't have a dollar amount in it, as they haven't gotten all the paperwork back yet from some of the districts I've worked in, but that's a small detail. The important thing is, it's official. Now all I have to do is the training for the new curriculum next week, wait for the paperwork to wend its way through the bureaucracy to get our new house, wait for the inspection so that we can close on the old house and move out (at last!), and set up. I am usually a patient man, but all this waiting around is starting to drive me up a wall.