Me: I'm going to teach next year.

Friend: Oh how nice? What grade?

Me: (With a big smile) High school English!

Friend: (A certain pleasantness turns to a scour) Ooo. High school? I hated English.

I love this conversation that takes place with various people on a daily basis. But I love the transition in someone's mind from envisioning me lovingly teaching and guiding third graders to their sudden remembrance of the hell that took place their sophomore year in English class. I understand of course. Unless they were lucky, their English teachers were really old, super weird, or Mrs. Charleville, Godloveher, who never raised her voice or seemed to mind the boys in the back chucking spitwads and making obscene gestures and remarks.

Does anyone out there remember creating a class literary magazine in their school days? Or, if you teach English, does your class publish a magazine? I would really like to do this with my class. I'm wondering...how do I do it? How much does it cost? How can I implement a school wide writing contest and publication? Am I crazy?

Any help or comment would be soooo welcomed.

I got a job! I will begin teaching English in the fall at a local high school. It is a very small school, and I've been subbing there for the last 4 weeks in a social studies class. The kids are great, and the communication arts department is wonderful. They focus a lot on writer's workshop, and they will begin implementing literature circles next year. I'm so relieved. I'm also very excited and scared. Fear is a good thing.

Also, I received what I consider my first awesome teacher compliment on friday. I was at the school's renaissance assembly (which was the most awesome assembly I've ever attended), and after the assembly one of my social studies students introduced me to her mom. This student is a good, quiet kid. She told me earlier that week that her mom was on the school board and recognized my name because of my new contract. Anyway, her mom was so wonderful. She said that she was very happy to have me at the school and that her daughter liked me. She then asked me if I knew why and I said no. It is because I make the kids mind the rules. This was such a relief to hear because as a substitute teacher it is very difficult to establish order, especially in a classroom with a regular teacher that does not care how the students act. Anyway, I just felt a great deal of respect and honor in that moment after the assembly. Although I remember what it was like to be a kid who hated school, I also remember what it was like to be a kid that was constantly bothered by the disrespect of other students in the classroom. Yay.

Finally, I've been afflicted by blisters and sores on my hands, feet, and, yes, even my mouth. My niece had hand, foot, and mouth disease last week. I have not even seen her, so I do not know how I got it. It really isn't as bad as it sounds. Most of my blisters are actually just little red specks that look more like some type of rash. Hey, at least it is not the chicken pox. I know my day is coming.