It’s open house here tonight! Phew makes for a VERY long day and I was at a networking event for Women In Film last night that now is making my eyes blurry - but not too blurry to make myself some updated business cards (what an eejit to show up to a NETWORKING event with little to no cards!)! I was able to break today for a caffeine kick before the parents arrived at 5:00. It is really a great opportunity to place the kids’ names with their PARENTS’ faces. Although I don’t see many out of the 150+ that I teach in a given semester, it helps to make contact. Most of the ones who come by are NOT the ones who really need the parent contact, however. I have struggled in the past with parent-teacher contact, but have gotten MUCH better at making those calls, and it has paid off! If a student misbehaves, does not show up for detention, is tardy, or is failing, it is important to make that first call home to not only try to nip the bad behavior early, but to also cover your own butt! Seriously, documenting your contact with a parent is critical - especially if you do not get a reaction. If it comes to the point when administration has to get involved, these records of reaching out substantiate your concerns and claims.

Classes are going really well so far this year. My media classes (3 sections) are PACKED into the lab and we have kicked off the first project building animated identity pieces in Flash with voiceovers. The kids are enjoying bringing childhood photos to scan, and listening to their own voices tell their stories about home. My freshman are…freshman! They are sometimes tough when your voice is on empty, your energy is low, and your patience is THIN! But the kids were hooked from day one when we took the cameras out for a scavenger hunt - the challenge is keeping them hooked in. Their energy is super high which keeps me on my toes! No matter how many times I do a lesson, the 9th graders always tend to surprise me, impress me, and challenge me. They are writing, scanning, and creating audio, imagery, and video clips to embed into their eportfolios. We are also studying the history of the web and how it works, learning vocabulary that they will animate into slide shows. I trully enjoy teaching the seniors. We are pretty laid back now, once a week, brainstorming and remembering projects over the years to include in the senior portfolio. We will kick it into high gear second semester as they prepare for the Senior Exhibition in June. And lastly, my Advanced Web class is working on job searches, ethics in the workplace, and resumes before meeting their clients (real ones!) to build web sites for by January. I am pretty disappointed that I have such a small number of students in the one section - this curriculum has been my baby over the last 2 years!! But it allows me to focus more on the video curriculum that I wanted to revamp, and I will not be driven crazy by keeping track of a dozen clients’ needs on a weekly basis! I also am pleased to have some “regulars” stop by the lab on Mondays - we dabble in podcasting, 3d modeling, and all things tech/art/whatever interests them … and I learn a ton from them too! I am hooking students here and there up with IT and web jobs through the TechBoston Consulting Group which makes their eyes light up with pride! Gotta make that money! ( :

13 minutes left…and yet I have to go home and search for apartments that I have no time to look at this week. Landlord kicked me out. Elderly mom moving in…STRESS much?! And my master’s classes are revved up this week too. Sigh. Busy busy!

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