Metamorphosis: step 1

This has been quite a week. It began with the end of my career at starbucks, which was bittersweet. That was accompanied by the inevitable sense of doom associated with leaving the familiar and embarking on the unfamiliar.

I had not considered the psychological effects of my vocational change. In the space of a day I went from respected elder statesman in a world of 20 year olds, to neophyte in a world of 40-50 somethings. All of a sudden I was a grownup (or at least expected to be). For the last few semesters I had jokingly referred to my teaching/observing persona as "Mr. Bruce", and spoke of him as a separate entity. On Tuesday I had to wear "Mr. Bruce" most of the day, and then the rest of the week.

Mr. Bruce wears ties. In fact, he more than wears them, he loves them. He feels sorry for people who don't.

I remember one of my odd phases while I was in the military, at age 19/20 feeling very grown up and having a fixation with ties. I used to sit around the house watching tv on my days off, in clothes that my new coworkers would think are too "dressy" to wear to work. I was doing my best "grownup" impersonation. In a way I still am, but I have gotten better at it.

This past week has been an eye opener. I am hooked and I want more. This week wasn't work at all (which is good, because nobody is paying me). I took home papers to grade for the two classes I taught on Friday, and laughed and enjoyed the process of covering them with red pen. Some kids write/say the darndest things (others just sit there and stare at you) and you can make them do things (its amazing).

I am also adjusting to a new daily schedule. I have been getting up at 530/545 to run with the dog, and then I have to leave by 645 because of traffic to get there around 730. Then all day long I am figuring out which bell is what, and because the school uses block scheduling I only have each class every other day. And I have no 7th period, it is my prep, which means that I am done with students around 150 and am then at the mercy of my master teacher. With few exceptions I am not allowed to leave before her (this is not a serious problem, as she has 2 school age sons and is not particularly keen to hang around past 3pm). I have a weekly class for student teachers at CSULB on Wed. evenings, and a few miscellaneous extra curricular activities that I must observe, but otherwise I am usually home by 415-430. I have the evenings to myself and go to bed around 11. It is bizarrely normal when compared to what I have done for the past several years.

The science department head, who in the short time I have known him I have come to respect quite a bit, asked me on Friday, "So, you feel like a teacher yet?"

My response was, "A little more every day." which I followed up with "Hey Bob, where's your tie!"

P.S. Mr. Bruce uses capital letters.