Finals

 It is a week of finals. Final week of school for students. Final exams. Final year for many at this high school before beginning again at a new high school.

It is traumatic enough for adults to pack up their life every 2 - 3 years. I cannot imagine the stress of leaving your high school. A student has no chance of finishing in the school they began in. A freshman is the only year that begins at the school. The rest have already lost years. I already know which  Juniors I will see next year as Seniors and which Sophomores I will see returning as Juniors. Any Freshmen I teach will all be new to the school.

Military children are forced to develop "military friends." You know. The kind that you will have for a couple of years and they or their friends will pcs and have to meet new friends. It is hard for me to do but I am a volunteer. My children are not. Chao lei seems to have done well after his first move. June has not done a pcs yet. I am going to assume I will receive allot of materiel for "What the Heck Wednesday."

It is to be a boring week for me. We will finish reviewing the semester and Wednesday will be a free study day in my classes. On Thursday, final exams begin.On June 8th, I am done for the academic year and will have an entire month of doing nothing until August when I begin my last year of teaching at this school. 

Maybe Jared will even be home during some of my time off. I will not hold my breath but a girl can dream.

Zzzz... I Wish

I love insomnia. Not. And the time could not be worse. It is the last full week of school for students, then final exams. Except for seniors;they graduate tomorrow. I have not had this problem for a long time so I hope this is only a one-off thing. At the least, I will be able to stay active since I will be reviewing the year for exam preparation.

June has been somewhat reserved these last several days and that is a good thing. With the end of school for the year, I have allot on my plate. But she has had her moments.

She received some stickers in a package from her Grandma Bing. It has been a trying time causing me to have a discussion with Grandma Bing about stickers in the future.

June: I want to put stickers on my wall!

Me: No, not on the wall but here’s a piece of paper.

June: Fiiiiine, I’ll put them on the door instead.

*sigh*

 

She is good at random questions too and not afraid to ask them. It also seems she is not fond of Wednesday.

June: Mom! Why can’t it be Monday, Tuesday, Saturday. Sunday, Thursday, Friday?”

Me: What about Wednesday?

June: Fine. It can be a day too.

What do you answer to that question?

 

I am unable to decide if this was a simple bribe or if she was sincere. Should I feel good or insulted?

                June (after giving me a hug): I thought I needed a hug, but I really just need pancakes.

 

That is June lately. She also has a favorite word now, if I am to judge by how often she uses it. "Fine." And only June is able to use it in so many different ways. There is "fiiiiiine." Then there is a version so short it should be considered only half a syllable. There is the musical version, "ffiIIine." And the machine gun version, "ff-ii-nn-ee." The deep southern accent version which is more "faaan" than fine. And "foin." On a boring day, it is simply "fine." I have yet to decode her algorithm for determining which she will use in a given situation.

 

 I have also been asked, “What about what Chao lei says/does?” He is older and does not have the same personality as June. He never has. He seems to ask himself questions, think things out, researches them, and answer them himself. It strikes me that two children, raised in the same household, by the same parents, can be so different. But if Chao lei should say or do something I find amusing, I will write of it. After all, I need to keep a record of it for when he becomes a teenager needing some humility in his life. ;-)

Now, let me see if I can return to sleep. A couple more hours could not hurt.

Year One, Almost Done

 It is surprising that the school year is almost finished already. I lose my seniors next week. There graduation is the 26th. The rest are finished for the year in three weeks.

It has been settling to discover that teaching teenagers is not so different from teaching university students. Teenagers are trying to discover their independence and what being an adult is. University students are exercising their newfound independence but are still trying to discover exactly how to be an adult. Educationally, all one must do for either group is to keep them focused and on task. It sounds easy, yes? Pffftt

I do believe now that changing to high school teaching was a wise idea. The primary reason is I am home with my family. Teaching at the university required commuting which took six additional hours of each teaching day. The crowded trains did not help, and early departures and late returns robbed me of time with my children. I had no desire to be a weekend parent. It is bad enough that their father is gone so much. Now we travel to school and return together. It is a much better arrangement. 

I believe that when we PCS, I will look to teaching at another high school, maybe even a middle school. If our next billet is CONUS, perhaps a college or university will do but I have my preference for earlier schools than university. I have been able to develop relationships with my students in high school. It is easier to teach when there is a friendly environment. I felt a disconnect with students in university. Business relationship. If I wanted that I would start a business. Teenagers, if there is a good relationship, tend to learn better, at least from what I have learned from this year compared to earlier years.

There is a satisfaction with students who do well. There was some at the university too but it was more business-like.  At the high school level, it feels as if I am more invested in their future. It is more personal. I learn who my students are. I learn their personalities. I have my class clown. I have my “smart” one, which is odd to say since I teach AP classes, yet I have my “Sheldon.” I often think my class is much like the characters in the movie “Inside Out” with only Anger missing most of the time. I enjoy observing my versions of “Disgust” trying to seem disconnected but still worried about their performance. I am sad watching my versions of “Sadness.” I can only encourage my versions of “Fear.”

I have found my niche. I get joy from teaching. Being liked by students is nice. Earning their respect and trust is better. I experience a diverse world through my students. They can come to school from various socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnic backgrounds, disabilities, and abilities. I can help my little group of “Fears” build self-esteem and believe in themselves and their ability to learn. I can encourage them to dream. Dreams lead to big ideas which can lead to innovations and changes for the future. I get to try to get my students to think beyond their comfort zones and challenge them to reach their fullest potential.

I work to prove that one person can make a difference. I cannot teach every child in the world, but I can make a difference for the ones that I do teach. I hope the impact I have on their lives will stay with them throughout their years of schooling and beyond. I hope I have at least had some impact on helping them to be healthy, productive, and successful adults.

What the Heck

 There has been a short lull in June's sassiness but she makes up for it.

Having to pick up Chao lei a little early from school because he was ill...

June: Mom, where are we going?

Me: *clap, clap, clap*

June: Mom, I do not want to deal with attitude this morning.

 

After an arguement with her brother...

June: Mom, you should call Chao lei a girl 'cause he is acting like a princessright now.

 

I had a sore throat the other day and could not speak very well. June's thinking on the subject discussing it with her father...

*whispering* "Look! (looking at me) I am Mommy." She looked to her father and said, "I do not have to listen to Mommy today because she cannot talk."

I will say I prefer her sassiness over her snarkiness. I wonder where she gets the snarkiness. It is not from me.