Cautiously optimistic

So far the school year is going relatively well. I'm mostly caught up with my grading, and I'm fairly well prepared to teach the 92 students (33 fewer than last year) sitting in my classroom at various intervals during the day.

10 Honors is still kicking my ass, though. I don't understand some of the material the other teacher presents, and I feel that I have to follow her lead no matter what. She's a brilliant person and an interesting teacher. She's the one who tells me I have more methods while she has more material.... which is true of course... but if I were to deviate from her curriculum, I would be proving just how ignorant I truly am.

Plato's The Apology is what I'm talking about. Why the hell do 10th graders need to be reading this? It's way too hard. I barely understand it myself. It's college level material that I feel is not appropriate for the classroom except in exerpts (which are the devil's handiwork, according to the lead teacher).

There are a couple of bimbos in my honors class as well. Not that they're stupid - they're just used to things coming easily and prettily to them. One of them lamented yesterday that she misses the 9th grade honors teacher (whom I've stopped admiring recently) who told them everything and made them take incessant notes. At least, that's my assumption. I wish I had time to sit in on one of her classes and watch what she does. I wish I had time to sit in on one of my lead teacher's classes to see how she approaches Socrates.

I don't know if there is an ideal classroom/teaching situation. Part of me wonders if the drama doesn't in fact inspire me. Teaching is a strange profession - definitely a love/hate relationship. But at least it's better than last year. Last year at this time I already knew it was going to be a looooong year. And was it ever.