I'm nearly done my first week back at work in the new school and I have to confess that I am loving the change. I'm so glad I decided to follow my gut and go for something different, even though I had the opportunity to stay in my comfort zone. Change is definitely good.
I get along well with my teaching partner, which, for me, is HUGE. I don't care about the rest of the stuff ... having a good rapport with the person you are working with directly can make or break a teacher's experience. The kids can be shit. The administration can be shit. But, if your working relationship with the person you teach with is shit? That's the shittiest of the shits of all shits that exists.
I'm slowly starting to get to know the other staff members. There is this one guy who has been popping around lately. Yesterday, I walked past a classroom at the end of the day that he happened to be in and yelled goodbye to me from inside while he was in the middle of a conversation. And today, he came with his buddy in my hallway and went into the computer lab across the hall for a short time, but when he left, he was kind of hovering outside my door and looking in my class. When I saw him, he gave me a little wave to which I replied with one as well.
The "goodbye" and the little wave is the most talking we've done.
It's kinda odd but cute at the same time. The funny thing is that we both have something in common that could be a great opener for a conversation -- apparently, he went to Greece as well this past summer. Well, it would be a great opener if he could get past the hovering and actually initiate something. I would be the initiator if I wasn't holed up in my classroom.
He's probably younger than me, but what does it matter since this past summer proved that I'm a cougar of sorts. Okay, fine, six and a half years younger does not a cougar make ... and I'm almost entirely over the age difference, but I still squirm when I think that my Aussie was TWENTY-FOUR!!
Anyways ... yeah. The year has been going well so far.
7 hours ago
