surfacing

So, I've been a real slacker about this blog. I re-enter here with a picture of a whale tail surfacing. I went to Hawaii recently for a few days with my family and took this picture from the coast (with the help of a stranger's telescopic lens!).

Last semester, I was a substitute teacher in Austin. I enjoyed the flexibility of it and getting to see so many different schools and students. If I had a bad day, there was always a new job to look forward to the next day!

I finally decided to commit to a real job again, mostly because I have no idea when/if I'll go back to Asia. So, I applied to some openings in the Austin district. The school year started and I still didn't have a job, so I kept subbing for a week or so. I finally got a few calls about jobs and had an interview just before I left for a trip to Hawaii with my family. (See my sister's blog post for more on that.) That school called to let me know they wanted me on the day we flew out.

So, I started my new job the day after I got back to Austin. I'm now a 5th grade math teacher in East Austin! It's my first time to be an elementary teacher, and I have a lot to learn. My class was pretty crazy the first few days, and there's still a lot of room for improvement.

I've noticed a lot of the sassy attitudes of individual students change to cooperative attitudes with just one or two one-on-one conversations during recess, lunch, or after school. Once they see I'm a real person and we get to connect on some level, it's amazing how much nicer they can be in class. So, I have hope for the rest of the semester!