My second year of teaching has been incomparable to the first in so many ways. I feel like I have found a community here at Horizon; I am not shoved into a back corner office that no one can find, I am not on my own to plan each day and muddle through the curriculum map "draft," we actually do labs and share in the set up and take down, and I'm not worried that my students will go sprinting from the room slamming the door and yelling obscenities as they exit. So yeah, completely different experience. And did I mention the commute has been cut it half?
First semester I had 3 sections of freshman general Biology and one section of upper class men Ecology. This semester I switched out Ecology for Astronomy and kept all my freshman. It's still a constant struggle for me to remember that the freshman are shock full of hormones and their craziness, mood swings, and total lack of regard for others really isn't there fault. Most times they are sweet and funny, and make my days interesting always.
Thanksgiving was spent in Steamboat this year with Caley's coworker Matt and his family. What a wonderful, loving, welcoming family! We spend many happy hours eating, talking, drinking good wine, and we even made a trip up to the Strawberry Hotsprings :)
We did not get a Fall break this year, so no amazing Euro adventure, but we did head down to Durango for Christmas. We skied a few times, got together with high school classmates, and had plenty of relaxation time just hanging at the house. Mom and Dad are doing well. Mom still working at the high school with the special ed kids, and Dad actually just quit his job....that was a bit of a surprise. I think it was a good move for him, he seems happier, less stressed out, and I think he is taking some time to figure out what he would be happy doing before jumping straight into the next thing. In other big home news, they have jumped in the the 21st century with an Ipad!! What??!! Now I hear they are thinking about getting a smartphone! Mind you, not two smart phones, just one...
Caley's brother came to visit after our Durango trip, and even though all three of us traded off being sick/injured over the week that he was here, we still managed to have a fantastic time! We made it up to Copper and Winter Park the last weekend of his stay, and got in some great turns. I'm still rockin' out on the tele set up, although I still don't have boots...so we have to rent, and I'm positive that buying my own boots would be a huuuge improvement. Despite the boots, I think I'm getting better; I can link more turns at a time before having to stop to huff and puff and rest my screaming thighs :)
Caley and I are enjoying our time here in Boulder, I think we've finally adjusted to "The Bubble." Caley definitely wants me to keep searching for a teaching position here, and I begrudgingly agree, mostly because I don't think it's guaranteed that I will be full time next year at my current school, and to keep the KSTF Fellowship, I will need to be full time next year.
Welllll, I guess that mostly brings us up to speed, here are some pictures from over Christmas break! Enjoy!
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