End of the year drawing near

This week is final exams here at Lindblom Math & Science Academy and the last full week of our academic year. This has been an amazing experience for me overall and I'm even more excited for next year as I was for this year.

I think I did fairly well teaching "up" from my previous experience. It was of course a multi-faceted challenge. I had to adjust to block scheduling and the balanced calendar. I taught US History; a course I've never taught before. I had to teach all of my classes at the honors level. I had to adjust to a new school culture, learn new faces and names, and learn to trust that I am in a supportive and professional faculty where I don't need to fear the whims of those in power.

I'm very pleased with how my students have done overall. I think the majority of my sophomores are prepared for advanced history electives. I think most of my freshmen have developed strong study and research skills and are ready for Honors US History. I certainly hope my students are better aware of current events after all the quizzes I gave them this year.

Next year promises to be as challenging as this one. To start, I am teaching Economics; a class I have never taught before. I have a lot of studying to do to get ready for that class. Fortunately, another teacher is also teaching Econ and I can rely on some of his experience. It will be a challenge but I'm taking a positive view that I might be able to do it really well. I also get to teach History of Chicago which I am really looking forward to. Teaching two electives to mostly juniors and seniors will be a great experience here I think.

I am so very thankful that I landed this position here. I can't think of a better environment to be teaching in. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Senior Prank Day at Lindblom Math & Science Academy!

This morning I arrived at school and while walking down the hall I overhear one student say, "should we warn Mr. Silva?" I say, "warn me about what?" They say, "never mind..." I walk into my classroom and this is the scene.

Every single chair in my classroom, including my desk chair is gone. Students in the hallway laughing their butts off. I go next door to Kari's room;

Turns out, every single chair, in every classroom have been removed. We don't know where they are. The students say they're not outside anywhere. They're not in the ballroom. Their not in either of the gyms. So I go across the hall to the History Office to see if one of the spare chairs is in their. It is...

Along with several dozen other chairs. Then I hear the students say they found some in the women's faculty bathroom. I decide to check the men's faculty bathroom.

There's probably several hundred chairs in this bathroom alone. Good thing classes don't start until 10:00 am this morning. So far it's a good prank. Non-destructive, non-harmful, well executed. The final judgement will be how the seniors get our chairs back in our classrooms.

Game on Seniors. Game on.