Downswing

I'm on the downswing. I am almost 2/3 of the way through this semester already. Holy smokes it is flying! My clinical experiences continue and have been a source of encouragement. I spent last Friday and will spend the next 4 Fridays at my middle school. The good news is that it is only about 15 minutes from my house whereas my high school was over an hour away. The better news is that I am loving it so far. The program is more organized. I am with 5 different teachers throughout the day so that I am getting a fuller experience. And I'm really enjoying the kids. They just seem nicer than the high schoolers I ran into and are eager to participate (and please!). I have to say that was a real upper. I am really not caring much for the seminars all of us prospective teachers sit through for 2 hours on Monday afternoons that accompany the clinical experience but those are only a few weeks away from being over. Maybe they are valuable for the undergrads but it is feeling like a major waste of time to me.

My "teaching writing" class is going well. I have identified grammar as a major weakness I need to improve upon. It's amazing how the philosophy on teaching grammar has changed. In fact, a lot of the theory is saying that you should only teach it pretty moderately, as opposed to all the drilling and exercises I did growing up. In spite of that, I still need to bone up on that area so I am a credible resource for my kids. And when I most needed it, my professor told me she thought I was going to be an excellent teacher. Whether she's blowing smoke or not, it felt good to hear.

Shakespeare continues. I'm through 2 of the 7 plays I need to read and I've just started MacBeth. I basically have a play per week the rest of the semester (which is beginning of December). It's going to be a grind but I definitely think it's doable. This full semester is a lot longer than that short, intense summer semester I just completed. Grueling.

I'm coming to a crossroads. I need to enroll in classes for next semester soon. I'm strongly considering stretching the rest of my course work over another year so that I student teach in Fall '09 instead of Fall '08. The reasons are primarily financial. The better half has not been able to get any kind of regularity from her desired occupation and is now looking in other directions. I've taken up a "second" job doing something I love but is not a reliable source of income. But the problem is, I'm pretty close to finishing up and I really like the people with whom I'm taking my coursework. I'm thinking I may go ahead with my classes next semester and then work towards adding classes for another endorsement, giving me the ability to teach more than English. I'm thinking that either business (not sure of the market for that in middle school) or technology might be directions I head in for my endorsement. We'll see.

Less deep and much more fun. My favorite band is having a record release party in Orlando in February. We're considering taking the kids and incorporating it into a Disney trip. Also hoping to go to Vegas with the fellas at some point in the spring, hopefully over my spring break. And finally, taking the kids to New York to visit both major league ballparks that are closing at the end of next season. So, lots of very cool stuff coming up.

Even more fun! Congrats M&J on finding out about baby #2 on the way, very exciting! And also to D&L, who have gone through hell and now heaven to finally have their first on the way. Life is about to change my friends.

Not so much fun but encouraging thoughts and wishes to Ken, who suffered a stroke recently but is whipping it's backside by all accounts.

And on my own suicide watch, I'm going to try to run a 10k in a couple of weeks. I've not run nearly as much as I should but am trying to get up to speed in time. It'll be close.

Fantasy Football Update:

Boom Kings 4-3, one game back, highest scorer in the league
Come on Sucker Lick My Battery 4-3, 5th out of 10 teams. Now is the time for a hot streak.
Nice Guy Dick Taters 4-3, 4th out of 10 teams.

The good news is I've got a shot at the playoffs in all 3 leagues. I'd settle for making it in 2 of the 3.

And I continue to pwn my poker league. After doing very poorly in the first tourney, I've since finished 3rd, 1st, 2nd and 2nd. The last 2 seconds were tough because I felt I should have won. In the first I lost with Ace King suited to pocket queens (ok, maybe I shouldn't have won but I easily could have with that hand). In the second, my pocket Aces that would have finished the tournament got beat by AT when the bozo caught his 2 outer on the river to catch up with me. I couldn't recover and it was over. So frustrating. I'm way ahead of the pack though and making a little scratch on the side.

OK, megapost complete.

Until next time.

Ace