Having a real problem over the past month or so keeping my head in this year. This is a pretty common failing at this point of the year, especially when doing year long classes. You are at the 3/4 mark and probably through 7/8 of the curriculum because of leaving time to review before EOCs. So I guess it is natural to do so, and I definitely have started to think a lot about next year.
Part of it is that I teach at an amazing school with ridiculously supportive administration. We were shortly after Christmas break to list a few wishes for next year, and everyone was encouraged to come up with a "dream" course or as the internet might have it now, a stretch goal.
I listed two, figuring there was no way that they would really get considered.
I was wrong though and so next year I will likely be teaching a high school level Intro to Organic and Biochemistry course. First off, I think this fits in well with our school, we have a lot of kids who have the desire to go into medicine, biology and chemical engineering. That being the case, since Organic is a classic weedout course, this will only help our students.
Plus, it will be a heck of a lot of fun to teach, I'm looking forward to a lot of labs and some cool discussions about molecules that affect their daily lives. But then I started looking around for some others teaching such a class and there aren't a ton. I saw Adrian Dingle's page for his Organic class and it was pretty intimidating (in a good way, as most of his stuff is) and it really hit me how much work I have to do to pull this off.
Oh, and I'm teaching AP Chemistry next year after a year without it and brand new standards next year....
I honestly just want to start prepping videos and planning for next year right now, but I only have 12 or so more class sessions with my APES class before their AP test, about the same for Biology before their EOC....
Good thing I don't have hair to begin with.
Don't get me wrong, it is a good anxiousness, the feeling of wanting to do your best, to be the best, for some of the best kids ever. But it is still daunting.
Funny how fun in Chemistry = more work! It sounds like the dream to reality really started with having students interested in pursuing careers requiring science and teaching in a STEM academy with a really supportive administration. That excited/nervous feeling I think is a good sign. I get that when I get to teach something I am passionately interested in and want desperately to get it all right. And desperately want my students to contract even a little bit of that excitement and passion, OK at least one student to catch it. :)
ReplyDeleteHave fun with it, they always say love what you do...