OT: Dying Here

[Webstral]

I'm a little more than halfway through my student teaching, and I'm dying here. For those who aren't familiar with the nuts-and-bolts of the teaching profession, a student teacher is a cross between a new teacher and a substitute. In many ways, it's the worst of both worlds. I borrow three classes total from two other teachers. I teach, but within their framework. I instruct, but the culture of the classroom already exists. I don't have ownership, but unlike a substitute I don't walk away at the end of the day. I have plenty of work to do, but I have neither desk nor filing system nor real control over anything. I'm an unpaid apprentice. For someone who has run his own show for three years, this is very trying.

Then there's the graduate work on top of the school work. Then there's the fact that I have a two year-old and a newborn at home. My wife, who is playing host to a seven week-old girl, also has been putting in about 35 hours a week from home. Until last week, she has been unable to pick up any of the slack at home. This week, she has been able to do things like the dishes, etc. However, she's still up most of the night with a wailing infant; therefore, she's pretty exhausted during the day and just barely able to survive the two work days per week my son is home with her.

Then there's the fact that one of my English classes is populated by the bottom-of-the-barrel students of the school. The class is called "college prep". I don't know what college these kids are prepping for, although I don't doubt some will be accepted into for-profit colleges and go massively into debt before being kicked out for sheer sloth and academic inability. I haven't been exposed to the "I dare you to teach me" crowd in numbers greater than ones and twos. I can't say I get any joy out of teaching this group.

I long to produce some material for Twilight: 2000. I want to get back to Thunder Empire, and I want to write a piece for an exciting megapunk idea I've had for about a year. A pocket of southern New Hampshire is the hunting grounds for a brutally effective symbotic partnership between two megapunk groups called Heaven's Serpents and the Zombies. These groups operate during the day and night, respectively. They have absorbed or destroyed every other gang in their area of operation, and they are about to challenge the other local powers in the area: Nashua, Manchester, and First District. Ah, to have the time!


Webstral