Break out the champagne, light up the cigars (or smoking substance of your choice...as long as it's under 4 oz...new TX law...look it up), we've nearly made it through a second consecutive week of real work. I realize it's only Thursday, and I grant you that we had Monday off, but I will take my small victories as they come to me. I have some time at my desk before Parent-Nite gets up and rolling, and so I thought I would attempt to lay aside the cynicism (at least as much as possible) and give an update on life at POPCS (long acronym, right?)
Ties - I was disturbed the day before school started when I was informed for the first time that ties were mandatory every school day, save a few special days here and there. I have never worked anywhere that had a dress code that strict, and the rebellious-teen that I was began to rise from the dead: "You can't make me do that, man (why does my angst-filled-teen voice sound stoned in my mind?)", but two weeks in.......nooooooot soooo baaaad. I can handle it. There's actually something official-feeling about the whole thing.
Where Have All the Bastards Gone - I almost hate the jump the gun on this one....really, I am becoming nervous even as I type, but the kids here are....dare I say it....decent humans. There are a handful of squirrelly kids, but that's just it, they are kids. I expect a modicum of deviance and rebellion, I have never asked for anything approaching perfection, but these kids only serve to illustrate that I might not have been crazy about hating so many of those Alban-kids. Compared with last year, these kids are angels....it's like night and day. I have many, many more students this year, and I don't know even 1/8 of their names (I know how to point and say, "You", though), but already I like them, and they seem to have at least respect for me. This is subject to change, and I won't be held to this stance, but for now they give me hope of lasting in this profession for more than a year or two.
Fitness - Generally I have observed at most schools, offices...etc that they are filled with flabby people making it some sort of obesity-loves-company mission to convert everyone else to their club by deriding any attempts at healthy eating or exercise, claiming such things as unnatural or the practices of fanatics. Such is not the case at POP. Much to my pleasant surprise, there is a group of men that play basketball three mornings a week, competitive basketball at that, and the basketball coach does an open gym on Saturday mornings a few times a month. Aside from that, there is a general attitude/expectation that people work out or watch what they eat; it is far from fanatical, and we still go grab burgers or mexican food, but there something different that I cannot quite pinpoint.
Controlled Autonomy - To put it bluntly, St. Alban's was a free-for-all. I loved my principal, and she was nothing if not supportive and hardworking, but I have already had more input and questions concerning the details of my curriculum (they still let me write my own) than I probably did all of last year. I had no problem with the way I was allowed to wind-up and go last year, but it is comforting that there are hand-brakes built into the POP system to keep me from getting too far off track.
All in all, it seems like I am working at more of a 'school' than I ever have. If I have to work, and I guess I do, this is not such a bad place.
Ties - I was disturbed the day before school started when I was informed for the first time that ties were mandatory every school day, save a few special days here and there. I have never worked anywhere that had a dress code that strict, and the rebellious-teen that I was began to rise from the dead: "You can't make me do that, man (why does my angst-filled-teen voice sound stoned in my mind?)", but two weeks in.......nooooooot soooo baaaad. I can handle it. There's actually something official-feeling about the whole thing.
Where Have All the Bastards Gone - I almost hate the jump the gun on this one....really, I am becoming nervous even as I type, but the kids here are....dare I say it....decent humans. There are a handful of squirrelly kids, but that's just it, they are kids. I expect a modicum of deviance and rebellion, I have never asked for anything approaching perfection, but these kids only serve to illustrate that I might not have been crazy about hating so many of those Alban-kids. Compared with last year, these kids are angels....it's like night and day. I have many, many more students this year, and I don't know even 1/8 of their names (I know how to point and say, "You", though), but already I like them, and they seem to have at least respect for me. This is subject to change, and I won't be held to this stance, but for now they give me hope of lasting in this profession for more than a year or two.
Fitness - Generally I have observed at most schools, offices...etc that they are filled with flabby people making it some sort of obesity-loves-company mission to convert everyone else to their club by deriding any attempts at healthy eating or exercise, claiming such things as unnatural or the practices of fanatics. Such is not the case at POP. Much to my pleasant surprise, there is a group of men that play basketball three mornings a week, competitive basketball at that, and the basketball coach does an open gym on Saturday mornings a few times a month. Aside from that, there is a general attitude/expectation that people work out or watch what they eat; it is far from fanatical, and we still go grab burgers or mexican food, but there something different that I cannot quite pinpoint.
Controlled Autonomy - To put it bluntly, St. Alban's was a free-for-all. I loved my principal, and she was nothing if not supportive and hardworking, but I have already had more input and questions concerning the details of my curriculum (they still let me write my own) than I probably did all of last year. I had no problem with the way I was allowed to wind-up and go last year, but it is comforting that there are hand-brakes built into the POP system to keep me from getting too far off track.
All in all, it seems like I am working at more of a 'school' than I ever have. If I have to work, and I guess I do, this is not such a bad place.
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