Day 1.2 The Start

(.2 stands for Term 2)

Happy Monday, everybody!  Today was the start of a great term.

I found out last Wednesday that I am teaching 2 classes again this term.  I was told that this will make the class sizes bigger rather than splitting them into 3 class periods.  (True story!)

My first class has 2 ladies and 4 gentlemen (it was funny how they polarized to opposite sides of the room).
My second class has 4 ladies and 4 gentlemen (all of the ladies sat in the front row with the guys in the back...that will not last very long since the guys are VERY chatty.)  I have 2 seniors in that class. The other students are all juniors, and what a great age group (16 and 17 year olds!)  

It was a good first day but there seemed to be a bit of a disconnect.  I had to remind myself that it took time to establish relationships with my students last term, and in time I will know my new students just as well as my students from last term.  It makes teaching so much more enjoyable when you actually know your students!  Lots of new personalities already, and I love it.  

I started off class with prayer and told them that we will all switch off leading prayer.  After prayer, my boss and I went over expectations and then I went over logistics- what books we use (Bible, YouCat, and CCC), what materials they need to bring to class starting tomorrow (notebook, folder, and a writing utensil), where to put assignments (baskets by the door), where to look at the beginning of class to see what I have planned (I call it our Daily Itinerary which basically lists the topics we will be covering.)  
Then I had them answer a questionnaire so that I could learn all about them- I have a lot of BUSY students!  A lot of great discussion came out of that.  My favorite questions of the day- "So, how are you liking Manchester?" and "Why did you move here?"  I very quickly told them how much I love teaching and that you really don't have much of a choice when you're looking for your first full-time job out of college.  When I asked them what there is to do in Manchester, they all unanimously responded "NOTHING!" and whined for a bit.  It was quite comical however, it made me realize that I am not out of the loop on anything going on : )  They had a lot of questions about my background and I shared a little bit about my life and really enjoyed hearing from them.  To wrap up class, we talked about saints.  I had them tell me what they know about saints, I had the seniors in my one class tell me about their Confirmation saints, then I shared the story of mine (Edith Stein) and told the stories of Bl. Chiara Luce and Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati and passed around prayer cards of them to show them how young they were and relatable.  Then I ended class urging them to strive for sainthood and holiness and telling them we're all in this together!  "The world needs us, Manchester needs us, our peers need us, our families and friends need us.  Don't be afraid!"

Please pray that the Holy Spirit continues to open their ears, minds, and hearts.

St. Paul, pray for us!

+JMJ