Taking on More

Now that I have found a "groove" in my new teaching career, I have agreed to take on more responsibility outside the everyday classroom. I am going to be the SAT afterschool program advisor in which students can come to my room after school and receive tutoring for the SAT reasoning test. I already teach a SAT prep course, so I will be able to use my experience in that class to  provide a helpful informal program after school.

Perhaps the more fun role will be that of Senior Class Committee advisor. I was sort of just the default option, as I have many seniors and a room conveniently on the first floor. The Senior Class Committee is in charge of making decisions about where to hold prom, how to organize pep rallies, and in what way to raise funds to pay for all this stuff. So, I was politely asked by one of the members if they could use my room to hold a meeting and I obviously said yes. What I didn't realize is that about 50 seniors would be arguing about where to hold prom and frustrated with how everyone was interrupting each other (welcome to my life, students!). They didn't accomplish anything productive, so they asked me if I could be an actual facilitator. I am absolutely going to help them out--they need to develop skills in organization, professionalism, and presenting. This is a forum for me to teach them how to act in a professional way when it comes to making decisions and making proposals to the administration. It should be interesting.

So, those are two new roles I will be taking on effective immediately. It should be interesting and fun. I'm also going to play on the faculty team in the November pep rally that pegs us old teachers versus the young, overconfident seniors. I don't think they realize they are like 17...

Hope all is well.