catch-up

Can every weekend be a four-day weekend? Please? I could really use the rest and mental recuperation.

I've had plenty of crap happening and rolling around in my head to write, but...I am lame and lazy and also busy and tired. So.

School is meh. During the short week, the Debaters had TWO good classes, where they worked quietly and fairly enthusiastically. It was a little amazing. The next week I let all my classes play a review game of Memory, and the Debaters did the best. They actually followed the directions, most of them cooperated, and they played the game! The other classes goofed around and didn't play.

The Moles are slightly insane as always. We had one good class on Thursday morning, for some reason, but by the afternoon it was back to the usual chaos.

The admin seems to now be looking out for me to err. Our 'meetings' consist of them telling me what I'm doing wrong and how my entire teaching style (which from day one I've been trying to adapt) is wrong and NEEDS to change NOW. And I just sit there and take it, trying to keep a neutral expression on my face and nodding along at my faults. It is possible or likely that I have officially been warned twice.

At this point, I don't even care anymore. If they want to target my bad moments, I can't do anything to stop them. I can't be perfect, I certainly can't be kind every second for ten hours with twelve-year-olds, I can't change overnight, and also, I can't effectively control my worst class without a little force and volume.

So, if they decide that I'm not a good match for the school after all, so be it. I won't be that surprised and then I won't have to make the decision myself.

On the other hand, the knitting club had a great debut. Seven kids showed up, including two boys. None of them are kids that I have a particular bond with, or that I would have said actually liked me. Which makes it all the more unbelievable and positive. Most of them picked it up and got into it, and many of them carry around their needles during the day. Two girls have knitted several good inches! Three or four more kids want to join this coming week. I'll have to go pick up more yarn and needles.

Speaking of positive, I chaperoned a field trip the other day, with kids from a different, younger grade. It was so awesome! My friend, their teacher, is one that I've talked to and bonded with, and she was amazing--she had worked hard on preparing for the trip, setting the expectations, staying patient and yet authoritative. The kids really lived up to the high expectations--silent or very quiet in the subway station and cars, and quite well-behaved in the museum. Much, much better than the other school groups we saw. I really liked being there with them, encouraging them to look at new things and learn interesting facts. They were so enthusiastic! It was a very enjoyable way to end the week.

As you saw in the previous 'post,' I have a new camera! Oh my god, it is beautiful. I upgraded to a Nikon D80. Remember that my wonderful boyfriend surprised me with my first DSLR, a Nikon D40x, back in May. Since then, I have taken approximately sixteen thousand photos....and a great deal of them are of me. Thank you, flickr. Anyway. I've been wanting to get a new, faster lens and keep improving my photography skills. I started looking around ebay and found a used camera body that, with a special Black Friday weekend coupon, was about the same price as the new fancy lens I wanted. This body is more complex and more sophisticated, but I can still use the two lenses I already have. It's heavier, it has different and more controls and menus, and it will autofocus with all the lenses. I wouldn't have known what to do with it if I'd gotten it first. But now, though I definitely need to read up on it, I'm ready for more camera!

And you know what else this means--I still need a new lens! (A cheaper one, though.)

My Christmas trip to Guatemala will be EVEN BETTER with a new camera and lens!

Also, last night I FINALLY beat level 7 of Katamari Damacy. I'd been stuck there for like a week. Victory at last!

I listened to a four-month-old podcast of RadioLab and was totally enthralled with Zoe Keating's layered cello music. It is just gorgeous! Please go listen, it will make your day better!

I went out twice this weekend, which is twice as many times as a normal weekend. Both were fun, but I am compensating by having a hermit day today. And really, I could use one or two more, so can someone get back to me about the four-day weekends? Please?