Pre-service teacher.

I've been actually staying at my apartment; it's nice to finally be where I am supposed to be. Over the weekend, my parents threw a bit of a graduation celebration for me, and the family got to spend some more time with CA [who even played bacchie ball... surprisingly enough] and I've had him and several other guests to my apartment. KF and EW are coming over tonight to eat at Sultan's Market and drink some wine and talk about life together.

Overall, though, the week's been eventful. On Sunday, I went to CA's new place, downtown near the Wrigley Building and Trump Towers. It's completely swank with a work-out facility and a pool. And a swell view of downtown/Michigan Ave. Such is the choice to write poems/teach kids versus work in business. He's starting to pack up everything now; being in his apartment for 2.5 years has had him accumulate a lot of junk. It reminds me of moving out of Hyde Park--my first apartment, first home and first place I took pride in whenever I asked people to come and look at something. Now, I feel much the same about this place and I'm sure I'll feel it even more so by the time they year's out. It looks fantastic, if I do say so myself. The more I'm around, the more I appreciate this neighborhood over a place like Hyde Park. It's safe here--at least moreso than HP--and when I drive home later in the evening, there is still a ton of movement on North/Damen/Milwaulkee Aves; it makes me feel safer knowing that there are other people up and moving in the world.

On Monday, EW and I had dinner and made a return appearance to Treats for more mixed-up soft serve. Yesterday, CA and I had lunch together. School and having to be professional is going to come as a bit of a shock to me, I think. Every time I look at purchasing a clothing item, I have to think about whether or not it's work appropriate. Not that I have a habit of buying inappropriate clothing, but there's an entirely other level of what can and cannot be done. I have to think about bending and cleavage and what's attractive to a 5th or 8th grader.

I'm more than slightly nervous about school after going to that Responsive Classroom seminar all of last week; I found that the majority of teachers who were there were great people, interested in teaching and bettering their practice. I befriended a Catholic grade school teacher and was relieved to find out that my salary is fantastic compared to what I'd be making teaching in the Catholic school system. However, the vast minority [can that even be said? Let's just say the majority and minority were close] of teachers were not prepared, were not creative and were just plain ignorant. People who say, "Wow, I've never seen that word before" [whilst pointing to the word pedantic] or say to me, "You Jewish? You don' t look Jewish" when I mention in what kind of a school I'll be teaching. It makes me question the education system and understand more why I kept hearing, "So, you really just want to be a teacher?" Still disconcerting though.