Mikey D

It's been awhile since I've posted...

I've started my summer school job at a school in D.C., and last week was our week of "training" (get the rooms set up, plan, etc.). From where I live the drive is about 30 miles- almost identical to the drive I take to my regular teaching job. Bad news is it takes me twice as long to make the drive (one of the differences between D.C. and Baltimore).

The two hours of my life lost each day to highway traffic aside, I've loved the job thus far- and I haven't even taught a class (that's this coming Tuesday). The people I've worked with are so friendly, collaborative, and inspiring. And while that sounds really corny, it's everything I've been missing from my regular teaching job. I'm sure I've vented about it before on a previous post, but everybody kind of does there own thing at my school. It's been really nice to bounce ideas off people that want to hear them. Plus the people are really cool- I get along with all of them- and I'm completely myself (something, as Grace knows, I struggle mightily with).

So the job is going great, but it's a lot of work. There is tons of planning to do (I'm planning 6th and 7th grade math), and very little time to do it. I've planned two of the three weeks for both grades, which is good, but it's time consuming. I spent a good four hours today typing, and about the same four other days this past week (hence my non-blogging mood). I'll be glad to be done typing and start teaching.

Anyway, Grace thinks my sometimes-less-than-enthusiastic attitude towards teaching has less to do with me not liking teaching, and more to do with the school I'm at. She suggests that maybe I just need a change of scenery. We talked for a bit the other night about it, and I think she's right. I can see all the things that another school could offer, better things for me as a teacher, things that would make me a happier person. But as weird as it sounds, it'd be hard to leave where I'm at right now. There's a comfort where I am. But what sense is there being comfortably semi-unhappy?

***

Changing gears, I don't give out thumbs-up too often for movies (decent movies can get thumbs middle, or 3/4 thumbs, but rarely thumbs up). In fact, I can't remember the last movie I gave a thumbs-up to.

Well last night Grace and I watched "Remember Me" with Robert Pattinson (yeah, THE Robert Pattinson from Twilight...and yes, Grace, that's Pattinson, not Patterson like I originally thought) and Pierce Brosnan. It was fantastic...wonderful. Thumbs up.

I won't spoil it in case you want to see it (I'm not sure if it's up either of you guys' alleys), but Pattinson and Brosnan are exceptional in it. They were perfect for both the roles that they played. And while the movie is a little slow in some parts, there are some really powerful and great scenes.

And the ending...like I said, I won't spoil it for anyone...but I think it's possibly the best ending I have ever seen to a movie. At the very least, top five. When you are watching a movie, and you know that something is about to happen, and yet you still get completely blown away...that says something. And completely blown away might be an understatement.

If you got a couple hours, and you're intrigued, check it out.

~Mikey D