The First Day

Teacher work day at the high school. So many unexpected things. To wit:
*A faculty meeting that lasted two hours (my junior high first day meetings were max an hour). Thankfully we didn’t have an English department meeting, although I did have a Foreign Language meeting.
*Learning about hall duty. This is new to me as we don’t have hall duty in the junior high. Apparently I have a table and chair in the hall (go figure) and check to be sure that students have passes when in the hall. If their pass is for the bathroom, I am to have them sign in and out as a record of them having been in the restroom. I am also to check at the beginning of the hour to see that there is no graffiti on the stalls or walls. If I smell smoke, I am to, as I read it, lock them in.
*I do not have a cart to wheel my materials to my four different classrooms for the my five total classes. (My two German classes are both in the same room.) I also do not have a desk to use in the regular sense of desk, but I do have counter space which is supposedly my work room desk. I do not have a wardrobe for my things (jacket when needed, purse, other personal items). I do not have a locking file cabinet. I do not have a bookshelf for my accumulated mass of novels for young adults. I do not have a permanent teacher computer to use as I traverse (with my non-existent cart, of course) from class to class. I am to use the computer already in each room, meaning that the other teacher will need to have logged off (or I likely will need to do so) and I must remember to log off. I also do not then have a permanent email program and must use the Internet portal access if I want to do so during class.

So tomorrow I expect students. I have about thirty students in each Sophomore English. In German II, I have twenty-seven, and in German I, I have sixteen. Not too bad for numbers, although, contractually, I am only to have twenty-seven in each English class. I will be giving them an information sheet which will give me addresses and phone numbers without me having to look them up if I need to reach a kid or her/his parent. I will also be asking them to fill out a writing and reading inventory in English so as to know their attitudes about English. I do not yet have a syllabus (didn’t know I was expected to give one, actually) and am glad I can. I also found out I am not required to give an exam like the other Sophomore English teachers are giving, my exam can be all my own. This goes against what was (and is) being professed at the junior high. “All teachers in all disciplines across the curriculum and district wide are giving common exams in each building.” Apparently not. I am glad I am not. I can teach any way I wish and test to reflect that. I may like this high school gig after all. (Except for the 7:20am start… for which I now need to go so I can get to bed.)

Comments

[Malcolm Melcher]

I am a retired high school chemistry teacher. I have composed and saved many, many test questions over the years. I do not want these questions to retire with me. I have put them on a Web server for the purpose of sharing these questions (and answers) with other teachers. This is a non-profit venture. This is a 100% free service.

QUESTIONS:
1) How did you get your Web site registered on a search engine?
2) Could you give me directions so I could do likewise?
3) Since this is a totally non-profit venture, can this be done for free (or for a minimum fee)?

Thanking you for your time and patience, I am
Sincerely,
Malcolm Melcher

[online cyber crime degree]

I have to admit that I was wrong