Hello all! Sorry for the mullet pictures, but it had to be done. I assume that everyone has been as busy as I have lately and have not been able to post, but I will take up Steve's challenge to post something of substance. Well, I officially began teaching at Crown on Tuesday, and 8 a.m. is oh so early to teach grammar to a classroom full of freshman and PSEO students who don't want to be there. I was a nervous wreck on Monday, but when I woke up on Tuesday I felt fine, and ever since it has gone smoothly. All of my students come to class 10-15 minutes early and just sit there (while I am usually in the hallway talking to Matt), but I am sure some of that eagerness will wear off soon enough. Their early arrival to class also means that they sit there and watch me set up my computer, and yesterday some major technological problems sent me running frantically to the IT people for help retrieving my power point while my students sat in silence, wondering what was going on. I was telling my brother about this and he said, "Lynnea, are you sure you want to be a power point teacher?" He proceeded to tell me that power point means that you have to "dumb it down" for the students. I told him that their first assignment was a five paragraph essay which I clearly articulated to them, but I received back papers with 3, 7, even 9 paragraph essays consisting almost entirely of fragmented sentences. He said, "Okay, stick with the power point." Yes, I've got my work cut out for me. I am enjoying it, though, and I am excited to hopefully see some major progress in many of the students.

My largest concern was that my students would question my authority because of my age, but that has not been the case (in my classes anyway). A girl in my class celebrated her seventeenth birthday yesterday, to her I must seem ancient. Overall, it has been great, but it has only been one week so we will see...Steve you are more than welcome to sit in on my class. E-mail me about the details. Hope life has been fabulous for all of you, I look forward to hearing about it on the blog, if any of you will also accept Steve's challenge to post...