The Craft

When I saw this picture, it dawned on me that it's rare to see your friends or family do their job. My colleague sent me this shot today. It's me, on the first day of school with my mentor group. And it's what I do every day. Talk to kids. Talk with kids. Work with kids. Struggle with kids. Encourage kids. Guide kids. Adore kids. Appreciate kids.

Every year, as a teacher, September seems benign when it's on the horizon, but then it just wrecks you. It never fails. You don't even know which way is up when it's all over. Thankfully, tomorrow, we get a new month. And I'm so excited for it. This month has been one for the books. Our camping trip was cancelled due to poor student decisions, my students are struggling to get up to speed with the material I'm teaching, I have a student documenting all the ways in which I'm doing a poor job, and I feel like I'm regressing as a teacher. I've spent an hour with each of my 17 mentees and their parents to set goals for the year, I've spent nearly every free period in study hall trying to give extra help to my struggling students, and I haven't turned off my light before 10pm yet. But, despite the fact that nearly picked up and left this place, there's just something about walking into my school every day and seeing my kids every day, that just makes it kind of worth it.

Tomorrow is Fixie Friday. I can't wait to get out on the bike with the kids (and NK) and breath deep the air of a new month. And then, to be perfectly frank, I'm going to pour a glass of wine and veg out to the Jersey Shore. Here's to October!

September Songs

Here are the tunes that have been playing this month. I'm really into The xx, The Format, Horse Feathers, and Andrew Bird. But, I somehow listen to Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You" every day on the way to school.

Oprah

Watch Oprah

Monday September 20

On television

Talking about "Waiting for Superman"

One of my students (the one from the film) was flown to Chicago to be interviewed

Happy New Year to my fellow Members of the Tribe.

Things To Do

I've said this one before:

If you pledge to see "Waiting for Superman" and then use your $5 Donors Choose coupon so my kids can have graphing calculators to take home (I have about 10 who cannot afford one).

And we are pretty sure that one of our students (the one who starts off the movie trailer) will be on Oprah, Sept 20 and 21. The dates are not known for sure, but keep an eye out.

I get the feeling that things are about to get a little more crazy around here.