April 22, 2005

It's a crazy, crazy, mixed up town...

Writing from Justice Middle School in Marion - my first post in Substitute (should this word be capitalized?) teaching. I think I was more nervous before 1st period showed up than I was for any teaching I've done. I called Pops whose laughter made everything seem a little less dramatic. Then fourteen 8th graders walked in...

"Awesome, we have a sub!"
Blank stares.
"Can we sit wherever we want?"
Cold stares.
"Is this your first day subbing?" (Could she sense my anxiousness????)
Kind smile.
"Where's Mrs. Chin?"

They were supposed to read quietly for 30 minutes. I resisted the temptation to read them my book for the day, Fight Club, and let them hang out/read quietly instead. My findings from 1st period Social Studies:

IWU is too religious.
Marion sucks and they want to get out.
They dressed the same as I did when I was in Junior High.
No where near as cocky as I thought.

All morning I imagined being Nate Kingsbury and that boosted my confidence. I pictured him lighting farts or something and the kids crying as they left because they just "loved him so much."

2nd period consisted of me dinking around on-line while 4 students did computer assignments. What am I doing now, you ask? This is my PERSONAL PREP TIME. :)

$70, Josh

April 4, 2005

I've temporarily changed the subtitle of this blog (look up). I'm not sure if these rants will prove to be confessions, but I am fairly sure that I'm wandering...er, a "wanderer."

I am wandering in a variety of ways - in location of course. This week will take us from Moline to Minneapolis to Marion. Wandering in my faith journey...wandering in the sense that I feel like I don't have many roots left and I'm not completely sure where I'll end up on the journey. Wandering in my career...in the sense that I'm in between jobs at the moment. I was struck dumb while getting my car insurance - the lady had to label me "unemployed" - I wonder if this bumped the price?? So I'm wandering at the moment...but feel really good about it. I was struck over Christmas by something that Tolkien said so profoundly and I think it sums life up for me well and how I'm feeling:

All who wander are not lost.


So early this week we'll be with John and Patty and then later this week we visit Heather and Jodi in Minneapolis at their new place!! Plus we get to see a Twins game...opening night for the Twins!! Santana should be pitching and it's one more stadium I can knock off my list...8 more to go. Updated April reading to the right. I'll add more later when those are plowed through.

These are my confessions, Josh

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