*Sigh*

It's been a tough couple of days. One of my coworkers had her baby this weekend (exciting!) but that means I am now teaching her calculus class. (We can't let just anyone teach calculus!) So, needless to say, the last few days have been crazy. I know how to do calculus... I'm good at it and I even think it's fun (I know, you think I'm nuts)! But it's not easy to give up my class once a day to someone else. So far he (the sub/my ex) hasn't had a chance to teach them anything new, since we had a test today and all this craziness just started yesterday, but it's still weird. I don't like leaving them. I like the calculus class a lot, but I don't know them yet, so we'll see how things go.

I do have a funny anecdote about the first day though! (Yep, that's anecdotes are kind of my thing.)
As I checked the homework the first day, I walked around and looked at the students, and as I got to each one I said, "name?" and then marked their 5/5 on the correct spot. Well, one of the calculus students is the son of another one of our math teachers. So when I got to him, I said "Oh, so you're [insert his name here]..." The kid next to him blurts out, "It's never good when the teachers say it like that!" (You have to imagine the tone of voice.)

Anyway, I gave a test in Algebra I yesterday, a test in Geometry today, and an Algebra II quiz today. And yesterday I didn't finish grading because I was buried under the weight of the calculus and everything else going on. I had started one class yesterday, so I finished those during night school tonight, then brought home the whole pile of the rest of my papers (it's huge!)... I finished the other class of Algebra I but I think the rest are going to have to wait.

I am, however, caught up and even a little ahead with the calculus! I'm really enjoying it, even though its' a lot of work. I like the challenge.

Oh, and I was observed both of the periods I taught Algebra I today, if there wasn't enough going on already! One period by my vice principal and the other by my mentor.

Lunch Encounters of the Weird Kind

So, this evening I was telling my roommate about something that happened at lunch and she said that I just HAD to write about it on my blog. And she made up the title. Because she's a writer, and I'm not, so she's the creative brain when it comes to these things. Anyway, here's the story, and if you want to know more about her, I posted a link to her blog a while ago.

Okay, so here it is...

Algebra II went really well, and before heading to lunch, I spent some time drawing out the graphs for my examples tomorrow so I'd be better prepared. Therefore, I got to lunch a little later than usual. My friend was talking to this sub. Apparently they took post-secondary classes together when they were in high school. So I politely join the conversation. The guy does physics and math, so he obviously wants to get on the good side of math teachers so that he can get more sub days, and hopefully ones where we leave a little more than a pile of worksheets.

So when he finally gets up to leave, he comes over and introduces himself to me. "So-and-so by the way." And then he gave me an awkward limp fish handshake and bowed. Yes, he bowed. How was I supposed to react to that? I think I said something along the lines of "nice to meet you to." Curses, why am I so polite?!

After he left, one of my favorite story-telling teachers came over and did the same thing to me. Said he needed to practice his greetings! Too funny. Then they asked if he kissed my hand, because apparently that's what it looked like he had done. Thankfully he did not! Oh, and did I mention that he was oddly tall?

Then he came back to make tea or something. He was looking around like he was lost, so I told him where the sink was. Seriously, will I ever learn to shut up? Then he overheard part of my conversation with one of the retired English teachers who was subbing and used that as an opportunity to strike up another conversation with me about something he thought we had in common. I kept inching toward the door, offering my last reply as I was stepping out of the teachers' lounge!