Just like everybody else, I occasionally find myself wondering why in the world I do the job I do. Especially during weeks like this when I am looking at four nights of dorm duty in a row, from Thursday through Sunday, after spending all of this evening in my classroom. Whenever I'm wondering why I do this, I always have a moment that makes me think, "Oh yeah! Now I remember!" One of those moments happened tonight.
With the AP Calculus exam tomorrow, I spent the evening, from 8:00 to 10:15 working with students in my classroom. These kids were really getting it tonight and were making connections that I didn't think they would be able to make when we started the year. They were eager, interested, and working hard, and it was a lot of fun. After putting all of my things together so that I could come home and prepare for tomorrow, I walked over to the faculty lounge in the next building to check my mail. On the way there, I found a group of 7 or 8 students lying on the floor of the main administration building discussing stories and essays written by their peers. When I got into the faculty room, I found another group of students on the couches, discussing poetry written by their peers. "What statement does this poem make?" "It's very difficult to write rhyming poetry without it sounding like a nursery rhyme, but she did a really good job of making it flow and rhyme without being distracting or condescending." I had a good discussion today with a 9th grader about the Honor Code and developing a sense of personal honor. After I finish my class prep for tomorrow, I am then going to help judge the submissions in the library's haiku contest. On Saturday night, I get to attend the school Music Assembly - completely student organized and presented, not for any kind of grade, but just for the fun of performing. It's a highlight of the spring every year. Why do I do this job? The answer is E) All of the above.
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