Winter Haze

I am enjoying my first Winter Break since I was 15 during which I haven't had to work.

I should be studying for my Social Studies Praxis II coming up in January, or brushing up on my Geometry since I will be teaching it starting in February.

My placement is now official. I will be at A3 an artistically oriented charter high school. I have several friends who's children go there (as well as several of the older siblings of my students from this fall) and a few of my friends also work and/or volunteer there. I met with my Cooperating Teacher, Danny Ramirez and his partner teacher, Aaron (who is actually a woman despite the masculine spelling). They have 45 students in their class, and they teach a hybrid 'Inquiries' class including math and science.

The nature of he class is entirely inquiry based. No teacher lectures, we present the problem and the tools, the kids figure it out. This is NOT going to be an easy thing for me to do. Fortunately I get to spend a month adjusting to the school before I have to jump in and teach. They have a J term, which is a month long term where students attend only one or two classes, but they are specific and in depth. A lot of colleges do this. My father took a J term class called 'Man In Winter' that put him on the path towards his trips to the Arctic. Anyways, I get to choose which classes I want to help out in, I will be working in The History of Food, 20th Century Protest Music, or Science and Science Fiction. Needless to say I'm very excited.

However, for the time being I am finding myself settled into a lazy routine of video games, blogging, baking for Christmas and reading; and I couldn't be happier.