What a difference a year makes, or "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom"

How was the start of this year different from last year's?

It's hard to know what differences are in me and what are merely in my environment.  My new school is so different, so much better that I often can't believe that it is the same kind of institution as my last school, or that it's actually in the same (educationally) benighted state.

Classroom management has been worlds better this year than last, but I don't know where to give credit.  It certainly helps that I have complete walls around my classroom, a proactive administration, and students who come from--generally speaking--wealthier and more stable homes.  That said, I taught rules and procedures much more determinedly than I did last year, when I was afraid of losing my students' interest.  I'm definitely stricter than I was at this point last year.   The lid's on tight.  But there's also more going on inside.  I knew exactly what content I wanted to begin with and I've made sure that my class is one the students want to be in.

Put simply, I have confidence this year where I lacked it last year.   It's confidence that could only come from a year of teaching.  I know--really know in that sense-memory, empirical way--what kind of a classroom I want to run and why.   Too, I'm also more confident letting my personality show in front of a class.  Where last year I felt like I had to bend myself to fit the role of a teacher, this year I'm letting my personality augment how I teach.

For example, I never would have tried this last year (my lunch period class had been talking a bit on the way to the cafeteria on previous days):

"So you guys might not realize this, but I drive a really lame car.  And I got tired of my friends making fun of me for it, so this weekend I bought a motorcycle."

"No way!  Can we see it?"

"Yes--in fact, I brought it to school, and I parked it right out side the classroom!"

(Confused looks)

"Guys, we're going to ride my motorcycle to lunch!  But let me tell you a little bit about my bike.  It's long, it can seat 23 people, but there's no sidecar, so we'll have to be single-file to all fit on it.

 Also, it's invisible.

And we all have to wear our helmets.   Luckily our helmets let us communicate with telepathy, so we don't need to talk to anyone else, because they can just read our thoughts.  Did I mention these helmets are soundproof?  You can't hear other classes."

How has the beginning of this year been different from last?

Last year I wouldn't have been able to get 23 kids to pantomime putting on a helmet (pulling the visor down too--no bugs in the eyes!), turning a key simultaneously, opening up the throttle, and riding an invisible, silent, stretch motorcycle to the cafeteria.