Monday I went on a field trip with all the Juniors and a few of my favorite teachers to the Nixon Presidential Library. Before going there I knew that Nixon was a president and that he resigned due to Watergate. That was it. When I left I knew that he grew up in California (his childhood home is actually the site of the library), that his first house did not have a bathroom but it did have a goat, and that JFK was the first man to walk on the moon. That last one might have been something one of the students taught me.
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The first home Nixon grew up in.[/caption]I just love days that are out of the norm from a regular teaching schedule. I can get really tired on field trips making sure the kids are nice and do not run off to make out and learning about things at the same time. But it is fun to force them to take photos with you in front of the helicopter Nixon rode while his resignation from the presidency was taking effect.
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My Asian Possey[/caption]It was just the right way for me to get back in the swing of work after two weeks sitting in a room giving AP Exams. In case you want to know what hell will be like part of it will be proctoring exams for hours on end without being able to talk to anyone and no bathroom breaks.
This is the time of year where I always ask myself why I am a teacher. The hours are tough, the kids can be brats because their hormones are freaking out, and summer is so close we can all touch it.
But this is also the time of year that I am grateful that I am a teacher. Students finally get the drill and are used to me and what I expect of them, they ask beautifully insightful questions about social justice based on the books we read (of Mice and Men at the moment), and it probably helps that teacher appreciation week was a few weeks ago. For the first time since I worked at my school I was actually appreciated with flowers, candy (ugh) and gift cards.
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There was a KitKat Bar attached to this which I ate before I became so witty.[/caption]PS - we as a society need to come up with a way to appreciate teachers that is not getting them fat, if ya know what I mean. #seasonticketstotheducks #anewcar
