The Seemingly Insignificant Summer Cycle

Work-late-come home-put off homework-fall asleep-wake up-work-fall asleep while attempting to do homework- wake up- work- repeat until Sunday- spend sunday evening doing aforementioned avoided homework---repeat.

This seems to be the pattern of my life for the past few months. Actually I don't think I've even left Longview in that time. But, after the end of August there is no more homework. The shop should also slow down. I've gotten to ride some, but not consistently. I'm tired at the end of the day, and sometimes it feels like I'm putting my life on hold until summer is over. I'm sure there IS significance to all of it. I just have to remind myself of it. I must also remember to do my taxes soon.(filed an extension almost 4 months ago) The last thing I want is the IRS knowing me on a first name basis.

I did find time to play my cello at a little coffee house type place a couple of weeks ago. I'd like to start doing more of that. I played with a guitarist. We had the first set, so there weren't very many people there until the last song or so, but it was nice to just play. I even made a little bit of money.

I've been housesitting for a guy from work this week and apparently my dogs at my house spent that time moping around. My roomates said they were very unanimated the entire time I was gone. My dogs are usually anything but unanimated. I'm thinking I'll have to take them on a camping trip before too long to make up for being gone. And I could probably use some animation myself.

The New Place
After being in the new house a couple of weeks, I have to say its nice to be out of the ghetto. Not that my new neigborhood is posh by any stretch, but it is fairly quiet, which I like. The dogs have a decent backyard, and the neigbors seem to be nice. The bike ride to work isn't bad either. Being 12-15 miles depending on which route I take, its just about the right distance to keep me fit. I also get to hear airplanes overhead(airport is 1 mile away). I like this too, but it makes me want to fly again.
Work has been hectic latley. But this is all good in some ways, overtime being one of them. While the shop isn't a bad place to be, it is challenging to not spend too much of my check on more bike stuff, but I haven't gone broke yet. I think I worked about 50 hours this week. Maybe that's why I'm still not altogether unpacked yet. I won't miss the overtime when it goes away though. I want to have more time to read, and I need more time to be doing my homework. Homework ends in August, because that is when I should be certified to teach. And then I can start paying back all those student loans.

After four months without one, I have a phone at the house again. And a new address. Email me at mattgsf600@hotmail.com if you need either.

I Think I'm Crazy

I went back to visit Hallsville High School Tuesday, and I know I'm destined to teach because I actually miss being responsible for a classroom of teenagers that do their best to challenge me on every level. There just isn't as much challenge in anything else I've done. Flying an airplane in the clouds. Easy. Working on bikes. Second nature, and somewhat boring at this point. Dealing with customers just so I can make money... Also old news. Working on engines...Fun, but just a hobby. But seeing just one kid actually enjoy a story I've taught or finally get something or actually write something good (that they DIDN"T plaigarize) is almost worth all the hassle you have to go through to get there. I must be crazy. And if "Cancun Hoodie" is reading this, those parentheses in the previous sentence are for you. Keep writing.

Almost At the End

Today was my final evaluation for student teaching. I still have to be there until the end of the month, but will be observing more than teaching. This means I have more time again to do things like exercise, or read what I want to read, or get a few hours of work in to start a decent paycheck coming. This is a very good thing. My evaluation went well. I scored as high as possible in most areas, and found that other people think I have a better grasp for teaching than I think I do. Whatever the case, I have definitely learned more about what works, what doesn't, and more about myself through all this. I have learned that teaching is a hard thing to do well, but there are also things about it that you just don't find in other jobs. One of the hardest, and most rewarding things about it is interacting with so many people on a daily basis. Just being available to students can be draining, but at the same time is what makes it worth it. I have also learned that you have to know your students as well as possible before you try to figure out what will work with them as far as motivation, discipline, etc. It keeps the job interesting. I can see getting tired of teaching the same material over and over again, except that each student and even whole classes respond to it a little differently. Will I teach after my time at the shop is up? I think I will. Whether or not I will continue to want to teach high school long term is still up in the air. I can see myself becoming a college professor, because I think it may actually suit my style of teaching a bit better, but student teaching has, in most ways, validated my desire to teach. I definitely don't believe I've made a mistake. I do, however, almost consider it a necessity now to teach somewhere where it is possible to ride my bicycle to work. I have discovered that, at least until you have some experience under your belt, there is little time to fit exercise into your teaching day. In a job where being calm and managing stress is a daily concern, I have missed my exercise intensively. Riding is my way of dealing with stress, and I can't wait to get back to riding to work every day. One advantage to staying at the shop for the next little while is it gives me time to get resumes sent out to other states and actually figure out what options are viable to me as far as teaching, and I can ride and ride and ride. I should go now. I do still have some papers to grade.

April Fools at HHS= BOMB THREATS, A BIG FIGHT, AND FREEZING IN THE STADIUM. And I'm paying for this "experience." Except BOMB THREATS must always be treated seriously, so I really did spend my afternoon freezing and trying to keep 27 kids from wandering off to find their friends. Much fun.

Teaching is cool, even if it is only student teaching. More on this later.