march 27, 2001. "I am not absent-minded. It is the presence of the mind that makes me unaware of everything else." - g.k. chesterton Second day. So boring. During the first semester I made elaborate notes on my teacher's presentation technique so that I could figure out how to present my own material. Now I've got that down backwards and forwards, so all I have left is slow insanity as the class plows silently through Camus. At times I would make notes on my upcoming lessons; at others I would read The Shipping News under the desk. The double period I spent in the resource room helping a kid with integers was the most interesting and least irritating part of my entire day. My supervisor has made an appointment to evaluate my class on Friday, which is literally the first class I'll teach this semester. On top of this unseemly haste, there are new rules this semester about acceptable amounts of advance preparation that will triple my workload. The rule of thumb is that we should have planned three lessons in advance so that we "don't run out of material." Well, actually, these standards were around last semester, but we all ignored them. This is being emphasized now because many students last term were considered to be lacking in preparation. Now, I run out of class time consistently, but I never run out of material. And I have excellent marks in preparation, because when I bother to write a lesson plan you can consider that fucker written. I write down details and motivations that would make a supply teacher weep. But. I don't think this is the issue that I'll choose to push with the administration. Hence: tripled workload. Guh. The best part of my day was homeroom, since it's filled with students I taught last semester and they actively engage me in conversation. This morning we talked about skater pants (verdict: neat) and I was invited to come along on Wednesday's after school ski trip. That made me very happy for all the reasons you might predict. One kid started to tell me about music he liked and the Tom Waits CD he got for Christmas, making me remember all of the bonding we did last semester over Mr. Waits. I even got to chat with the Boy With A Thorn In His Side about biology as he studied in the hallway before class. I want to go back to teaching these kids so much, but I'm thwarted by the cold unforgiving bitch that is the semester system. Damn you, semester sytem!! DAAAMMMNNN YOOOOOOOUUUUUUUU!!! During my internet wanderings tonight, I found out that the German title to "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" is "Die Satansweiber von Tittfield." Now that's just supiciosly perfect, don't you think?.