Week One is Done

The first week of school is always exciting. A fresh start for students and faculty alike, a realm of possibilities presents itself from the opening bell. This year was no different. I have a packed schedule, six classes instead of the usual five and my two freshmen honors classes took a little while to warm up, but they are quickly developing unique identities.

Our icebreaker was an Investigate the Teacher, getting them to explore the classroom to draw conclusions about me, developing skills they will need for their literature. One decided I was bold based on my Superman tie and some of the colors around the room. Most were pretty spot on, which was good.

I have three sophomore American Lit classes and they had to get up and do a version of Speed Dating, asking someone questions from a sheet they were handed. After two minutes, they had to find someone new. With seven transfer students, it certainly helped to get them acclimated.

For this class, we then talked about being an American and the American Dream. For the latter, I used the President Shepard speech from the climax of The American President. It’s nearly 30 years old, but I was able to illustrate we have been talking about the same issues for decades with the problems still persisting. Unfortunately, the day I showed it, we had another shooting in America and this week, the President brought up flag burning. Good timing for discussion but sad for the country.

Yearbook is smaller and tighter and I think should function better as a team. We began getting into all the details of the book and design basics, readying them to try their hand at practice spreads this week as we gear up to begin covering events.

On Wednesday, I left in plenty of time to get to MICA, but traffic had other ideas, so I wound up arriving nearly 20 minutes late. The class was patient, and I realized it was the first time since the first semester, three years ago, that I had a room full of new students, no repeats. We got through their presentations and it’s interesting to see how many are skewing towards horror followed by LGBTQ+ issues. I love some of the art I saw and think most of the premises are quite imaginative.

I do love how our school schedules four days of classes followed by a four-day holiday weekend followed by four more days of school. That eases everyone back into routine, which we all need. My throat was hoarse after so much talking early on, and of course getting up earlier is a challenge.

And the four-day weekend saw me spend the better part of two days reading through the MICA presentations, plot pitches and even some thumbnails. I was able to get through them all then write back my comments, without pressure.

We did, though, spend Saturday with Kate at the Maryland Renaissance Faire. It’s grown in popularity that it’s pretty much sold out for the nine-week season which speaks to how much fun it can be. We took in some shows, saw plenty of singing, and did a bit of shopping (well, they did, all I spent on was lunch). The weather was wonderful and it was a truly great day together.

Today is working on an essay for a book project I was invited into, some school stuff, and hopefully, some relaxing with reading.

What We’re Watching

We finished Paradise this week, and it’s some gripping stuff, with solid acting. We’re now eagerly looking forward to the second season next year. We tried Bad Sisters, a British dramedy, and it’s fun enough to keep us watching. And we remain captivated by Dark Winds. On the other hand, after a second episode, The Studio proved incredibly disappointing. For a show about the movie business, it doesn’t reflect the reality terribly well and Seth Rogen’s lead falls into the “too stupid to live” category. Someone tell me if it gets better because we’re done.

What I’m Reading

I finished Onyx Storm, the third volume from Rebecca Yarros. Being the middle of a five-book cycle, it didn’t move things along far enough, and recycled plot points without really growing the characters as they needed to. The supporting cast needs to shine more. I also completed The Moonshiner’s Daughter for the Faculty Book Club, and while it was good with a strong ending, it oddly had a feeling like I’ve read this content elsewhere so didn’t wow me.

There wasn’t time for anything else other than comic books (including a reread of the delightful Dalgoda), some magazines, and the newspapers, which I need to address.

#Tags: Dark Winds, Maryland Renaissance Faire, MICA, St. Vincent Pallotti High School, The American President, The Studio