Fridays

My weeks go by so quickly. Just when I think that I won't get through another period of economics with my grade 9s on a Monday afternoon, it's suddenly Friday morning and the whole world looks rosier. Fridays fly by - we get work done, say goodbye to the kids for another week and thank god for the only night of the week where I'm not sitting at my desk planning and marking and researching for my classes.

Working at a new school is like being dropped, without warning, into a country you've never seen before with people who don't speak your language. Just when I think people have started to warm up to me, I make another blunder and fall back into the obscurity of being a new, young teacher in a school that is still run by the old guard. I've never had problems making friends before in a professional or personal setting; even in the 12 weeks I spent in practicum I quickly formed relationships with my colleagues and was welcomed into their social circle, their friday afternoon drinks and ski trips and card games. Here, I'm still struggling. I'm patiently testing the waters, making sure that I'm friendly to everyone and extend myself to them, but so far no biters. I think that they teachers here are exceptionally busy; too busy, it seems, to worry about their personal relationships or finding new friends. But for me, starting out (and in a new city, 2000 miles away from my own professional network that I was comfortably established in), I need a friend.

I teach one more class today - Grade 9. They have a quiz and will complain heartily to me about it, before and after. They will try to challenge my answers. They will glare at me when they get 7/14 becuase they didn't bother to study last night. After that, freedom for another week.