Radical Eclecticity

So I had an interesting conversation with my principal the other day. He asked me in an email when I was coming back in a way that gave me the impression that he wanted to discuss something with me. When I told him that I wouldn’t be back until the day before pre-planning starts for next year, he asked if it was feasible for me to call him. I grinned to myself for calling that one accurately and then gave him a ring.

Turns out, he wanted to ask if I’d be willing to teach Social Studies next year, instead of Math. I told him that I’m always willing to make such a change. I never considered myself a math teacher, anyway. I thought of myself as a teacher, who just happens to be teaching math. That might explain what a math teacher was doing working  with the drama department and with History Fair. Well, now the History Fair is a better fit, but helping out with MathCounts might seem a little odd. <shrug>

I am actually kind of excited about this change for a couple of reasons. I’ll be able to work with my students more directly on History Fair, and that program is really cool. Florida’s History Fair program is part of the annual National History Day contest. It’s a really great program, and Horizon has always been very active in it and excelled.  I’m also really excited because I am currently taking a reading course that has gotten me thinking about reading instruction in the content areas. While I was fully prepared to integrate the principles I was learning into a math course, it is a more natural fit in a social studies course.

Not only that, but as a social studies teacher, I’ll get to have a homeroom! I’ve always wanted a homeroom.