Tales from Teaching

Hi folks,

As my mom commented the other day "you must be busy - you haven't updated the blog in a loooong time". Too true.

My second semester is in full swing - I've been taking 3 classes at SJSU and am teaching 2 classes full time (Physics and Conceptual Physics). Needless to say, "prepping" for two classes while trying to plow through inordinate amounts of dry edu-speak readings has been keeping me busy. But I'm still enjoying myself!

Anyway, I'm going to try and pop on here every so often to give you a taste of what my new career teaching is like.

When I was in high school, the only school-wide organized drills we had were quarterly fire drills. Times have changed - there are now 4-5 drills and protocols that we have to be prepared to lead our students through at all times. A couple of weeks ago, we had a "CODE RED" drill at school. Code red stands for "armed shooter on campus" - it is scary that this is now a common enough occurrence that all students in California schools have to practice it. When the code red is called, we have to lock the doors, turn off the lights, and build barricades in front of the doors and windows. Then we build another barricade in the back of the classroom and everyone has to hide behind it in the dark, perfectly silent, until the police come and clear the classroom. You have to give a special code to the police or they will come in with the SWAT team. Once you're cleared, you have to evacuate the building in single file lines with your hands above your head. Everyone took the drill very seriously, although I had a hard time not laughing at the student evacuating in front of me who had to waddle to keep his pants from falling down (with his hands on his head).

De-pantsing aside, it was a sobering day for me as I think about my new responsibilities as an educator.