One Month Away
“Do you remember those high school nights?
They were the best those high school nights…”
--Dave Edmunds, "High School Nights" from Porkys II, 1982.
School/my job begins in one brief month.
Seems like just two weeks ago, I was there. Oh I was.
I forgot; summer school.
Well the new school year is quickly approaching and changes are looming on the horizon.
I inherited an excellent department in no small part thanks to the effort of mentor Gene Burnett. New Department Chair duties; I have waited a while and I will be having some fun. I think I will use my watch, evaluate, listen, and learn approach before I do too much “departmentalizing.”
I am developing a new course on Illinois Studies, which should be cool as we explore Chicago History (the Fire, the 1968 Democratic Convention and the like—heck I may even kick in some Disco Demolition Night), Local History, Illinois In The Civil War, Illinois Geography, Illinois Government, and dare I say it: Presidential and Economic History of Illinois. All of it will give flair to personalizing ideas of the course to the folks taking it. It is a new concept in that it will all be delivered in a more participatory style of teaching and I think I will have to deliver my best to have it work—and it will be a blast.
Aside from that, the school will have two new administrators and a former one that moved up the ranks.
Perhaps the most innovative and popular change this new season will be the addition of the new COPY MACHINE! The old one sucked eggs.
I offer this video for my good friends and fellow educators Danny and Elston as I imagine us “Office Spacing” the old machine:
I’m the one with the glasses.
Later.
They were the best those high school nights…”
--Dave Edmunds, "High School Nights" from Porkys II, 1982.
School/my job begins in one brief month.
Seems like just two weeks ago, I was there. Oh I was.
I forgot; summer school.
Well the new school year is quickly approaching and changes are looming on the horizon.
I inherited an excellent department in no small part thanks to the effort of mentor Gene Burnett. New Department Chair duties; I have waited a while and I will be having some fun. I think I will use my watch, evaluate, listen, and learn approach before I do too much “departmentalizing.”
I am developing a new course on Illinois Studies, which should be cool as we explore Chicago History (the Fire, the 1968 Democratic Convention and the like—heck I may even kick in some Disco Demolition Night), Local History, Illinois In The Civil War, Illinois Geography, Illinois Government, and dare I say it: Presidential and Economic History of Illinois. All of it will give flair to personalizing ideas of the course to the folks taking it. It is a new concept in that it will all be delivered in a more participatory style of teaching and I think I will have to deliver my best to have it work—and it will be a blast.
Aside from that, the school will have two new administrators and a former one that moved up the ranks.
Perhaps the most innovative and popular change this new season will be the addition of the new COPY MACHINE! The old one sucked eggs.
I offer this video for my good friends and fellow educators Danny and Elston as I imagine us “Office Spacing” the old machine:
I’m the one with the glasses.
Later.
posted by Eric Sweetwood at 7:26 AM
1 Comments:
NEW COPY MACHINE???? Right after I leave? Yeeesssshhh. I'm so excited for you, not only about Department Chair, but also for the new Illinois History class! I think you're going to do awesome in both aspects... I'm sure the Chair job was MADE for you ;-) hahah. I know that you'll make amazing changes and have Pontiac working better than it ever has, I just wish I was around to see it- Therefore, keep us posted on new things you do! I'll be keeping an eye on your blogs.
P.S.- You, Megan, Elston, Danny, Jamie, and I need to go have a beer sometime soon. I miss you guys.
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