1 post from October 2008

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Ben's Blog Requests for 10/30/08

Oct 19, 2008
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Topic #1: In response to how I feel about the second-years, I can honestly say that I haven't spent much time around all of them to make such a generalization. This summer was about the only time I was in close contact with all of the second-years; beyond that, any contact I have had with them has been limited to a few hellos in between class and the constant contact I've had with my mentor/twin sister, Crystal. Based off that, though, I can say that the second-years appear to be a very knowledgeable, responsible group of teachers. There is a noticeable difference in the way that our first-year group acts in comparison to the second-year's, but the gap in that difference is gradually closing. I think we've matured a lot as a whole, and we owe a lot of that maturity to the second years because of their guidance throughout summer school, and their continued guidance through our first year of teaching. And if there is ANYTHING to be grateful for, having a full-support staff of teachers who've just experienced the things we're experiencing is something to be grateful for. So, I am thankful and grateful for the support of our talented second-year group at MTC.

Topic #2: The last thing that I did that was not school-related was decorate my house for Halloween. I know that sounds crazy, but I've been so preoccupied the last couple of weeks with MTC, school, paperwork for school, and meetings that I've only had enough time to come home and crash. So, when I had the first opportunity to do so, I took out my newly bought Halloween decorations and started decorating. I enjoyed it so much, because it was the first time since I've started teaching that I wasn't thinking about school, the kids, or that paperwork that had a deadline on it. For once, I wasn't thinking about anything. I had a pure moment of bliss, with no distractions or stress or anxiety. I enjoyed myself so much that I've made a vow to myself to do some decorating for every holiday, just for the stress reliever. And I recommend that every teacher, new or not, find something that they enjoy doing and do it on a regular basis. It's the perfect supplement to taking a mental health day, so you feel fully functional and unnerved between your days off. This is one of my prescriptions for maintaining a healthy mind amid the madness (that's free of charge).