After an incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating spring break hiking red rocks in Utah with my mom, I was eager to get back into my classroom. Reconnecting with students after a break is fun because they are actually excited to see their teachers (believe it or not) and tell them all about their spring break adventures. My seniors began Voltaire's Candide, a book I am excited to be teaching thanks to my dad who showed me the musical version as a kid. I think we both have the lyrics memorized. And the text is just as ridiculous, satirical, and insane as the production, so my students are loving it! My freshmen are just beginning Romeo and Juliet. With only four weeks left in the school year I am worried about finishing it, but I'm hoping to incorporate videos, graphic novels, and other methods so we can move quickly and keep the lessons and reading diverse! The first thing I taught was iambic pentameter. We kept the heartbeat as a class - the kids tapped bubble gum on their desks in time as I read the rhythmic lines (I definitely recommend this!)
At the end of the first week back I flew across the country to attend my 5-year high school reunion at The Madeira School. The small all-girls private school truly provided me with the friendships and education that have made me successful as a young adult, so I love visiting as often as I can to express my gratitude. Sitting in on my favorite English teacher's class was a huge bonus! I was able to see his teaching style in a new light, now that I too am teaching high school English. Of course the best part of the reunion weekend was spending time with lifelong friends. Courtney (in the floral dress) has been an amazing long-distance support and I absolutely needed the weekend with her. We are so lucky to have had Madeira bring us together.
I returned again to Las Vegas just in time for spring spirit week! I thought my high school had spirit, but CMHS truly knows how to pump up the student body. The whole week was "battle of the sexes" themed and on Friday girls dressed as boys and boys as girls! It was hilarious and a few of my seniors got really into the theme (see picture)!
Another fun aspect of spirit weeks are the assemblies! The teachers always put together a dance to a few modern songs, and the kids go insane! In this one we included the song "Selfie" and actually whipped out our phones, ran into the student crowd, and took "selfies" with the kids. As you can see from the photos, it was a blast for the students and the teachers, and definitely earned us each a few "cool" teacher points!
Last weekend was PROM! I volunteered to chaperone and attended the dance with my good friend, the band teacher, Mr. Keller. We had a blast in our Gatsby themed outfits (I layered the pearls like there was no tomorrow and he wore suspenders and a bow tie). It was wonderful to see so many of my students dressed to the nines and truly behaving like classy adults (no messy prom stories!) And before the sashing ceremony, while I helped unwrap the royalty garb, my coworkers snapped a picture of me as the prom queen! I think if my students ever see this I may lose all the cool teacher points I earned in the teacher dance when I "hit the nae nae" (some modern dance move?).
Finally, this week was teacher appreciation week. The student council members worked hard to create personalized gifts for all of the faculty. In addition, I had one pair of students give me a watermelon (my favorite food!) with the sign "You're One In A Melon!" and was touched to say the least. I especially loved that they used the correct "you're"! Looking ahead, there are only four weeks left. Instead of getting lazy or slowing down, I'm hoping to find one last jolt of energy to help me do my alma mater proud and "finish in style"!
All My Best,
Danielle (Ms. Landau)
