06 August, 2008

OK, let's procrastinate...

It occurred to me that I really haven't mentioned a lot about what I actually do aside from being a chem teacher. Kinda vague isn't it? The thought crossed my mind that I should just leave this post at that and leave you all to wonder. I'm not that big of a jerk though.

Or am I?...

eh

Ok, so I'm a chemistry teacher here at Woodstock School. Originally, I think I was supposed to be the low man on the totem pole taking the lower level courses and maybe even a general science or lower level bio. As luck would have it, the entire science department is new this year. The other chem teacher, Gayitri, has been teaching for a lot longer than I have but has been mainly 9th and 10th grades IGCSE and no upper level courses, especially not AP. So, that leaves me stuck with the AP 12 kids (two sections), a section of AP 11, and two sections of IGCSE 10.

oi

I can't complain though, we're all stretched pretty thin in the science dept this year.

Ok, so the schedule is kinda screwy. I only see 3-4 of the classes on a given day. MWF are extended periods of 65min and TR are shortened periods of 45min. T and R we have whole school assemblies in the mornings. Fridays have a bonus block at the end (in which I am doing campfire skits and songs). Mondays I have advisor group. I have 10 kids from grade 10 whom I'm supposed to get to know, take to dinner, have activities with etc etc. Wednesdays are homeroom where we get all the grade 10s together so they can do whole class things (like vote on officers). No two days during the week are the same for me. Luckily I'm in the same room for all but my AP 11 class. My AP 12 classes each have a double period once a week on M or F. That's two 65min periods back to back. It's supposed to be for labs and whatnot. Luckily we have our tea break between the classes. Which reminds me, we have tea breaks throughout the day. One mid morning and another after school. It's quite nice. Breaks up the craziness. I'll probably end up working through most of them though. That's another thing. We have a lot of random duties. I have lunch duty every W. I'm supposed to let the kids go every so often from the high school down to the cafeteria so that things don't get too crazy. Every now and then I'm supposed to supervise the tea break. Twice a semester I have to chaperon some weekend event. In November I have to take a group of kids somewhere on Activity Week. I really hope I get to go on a hike rather than go to Delhi. Umm... oh, if someone calls in sick I may have to substitute for them during my free period. Subs are hard to come by in the Himalayas (him-all-yas, who knew we were pronouncing it wrong this entire time?).

I'm sure there are other things that I'm forgetting at the moment. I don't care much. This has kept me from planning for a good long time.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

him-all-yas => British pronounciation. If you said it like that in the states, nobody'd know what you are talking about.

Anonymous said...

I would know.

But only because I do language. I do not do chemistry, or engineering, or anything at all requiring the use of graph paper.

Unknown said...

"I would know."

That's cause you're a Little Miss Smarty Pants.

Anonymous said...

Dude, I'm not that little.

Camber Carpenter said...

Wow, James.....you're doing a lot, and I'm pretty sure I could do none of it. Congrats on being awesome.