"the planet has a fever"

Lately I've been doubting my decision to become a teacher. The teaching courses at this university (and I'm guessing any university) leave something to be desired for one thing. But for another, and probably the most important, I've been participating in what they call, "Observation Hours". This term speaks for itself, but it doesn't tell you exactly what you observe and I'll tell you what I observed. I was sent to a high school where the student's were supposed to be jolly and the teacher enthusiastic. And it was true. The students were jolly, and the teacher was enthusiastic... just not about biology. I've never seen a more interesting display of student disruptions and teacher retaliation.

"All right guys, get out your packets... now!"

"Mr. So-and-so, you're rude [sniveling chuckle]."

"Sit down Jane Q. Student."

"You can't make me sit down."

"That's true, you are a butch. Look at you... you're a butch."

Look of utter shock from me.

"He can say that... he's my neighbor."

I don't know and I don't care who your neighbor is, but that, for me, is slightly... how do you say... out of control? So you can imagine my panic when I realized, that's right, I might have to deal with Jane Q. Student and I'm not going to be her neighbor. And taking advise from Mr. So-and-so, who sat in the back of the room and chatted with the baseball players while I was trying to teach gene mapping, isn't my idea of a terribly credible source. Anyway... that all changed on Tuesday when I went and observed at a junior high. My friend, Andrew and I showed up during lunch (Hawaiian haystacks, in case you were wondering) but this teacher wasn't bothered. I looked around the room and from what I could gather, this teacher was a caver and... dare I say it... loved to scuba dive. As he sat explaining to Andrew and I that he was the coach of the local swim team I noticed that he kept switching which hand he was eating with. Then I asked, so, "do you cave dive then?" To which he replied, "Only after dead bodies." That's right, this teacher is a member of the search and rescue and a paramedic. He continued telling us about his experiences, where he's been, what he's done, how he fooled the entire class into thinking he'd caught a bat in the school hallway then used a paper bat to scare the daylights out of the brave few who came to get a closer look. "I'm not known for my honesty around here," he dryly explained. He started talking about the field trips his students participate in and all the other things that he had planned for the year. "THIS is what being a teacher is all about, " thought I. And my confidence in teaching began to restore. And continued when the students came in and happily contributed to a review for the state exam. I liked that teacher and his class. And now I'm thinking I want to teach middle school despite the fact that I've conveniently blocked out most of my experience there. Besides, teaching the water cycle might not be that bad after all...

mis·ci·ble
–adjective Chemistry, Physics.
capable of being mixed: miscible ingredients.

p.s. I'm a new aunt! Welcome to the world little Ash!