Feeling: content
Listening to: --
Reading/Watching: Chinatown, which was suitably depressing

These days, I am feeling like a very capable teacher.

The Arts in Education discussion panel went very, very well. I was ridiculously proud of my student. The panel leader said (more than once) that he wanted to take us both to the capitol to lobby with him. Maybe he was just being nice, but I don't think so. My girl was very poised and articulate, especially for an eighth-grader. And I feel I also made some decent statements. The superintendent, however, needs to work on his "um"s and "uh"s.

Then, today, I managed to finagle the one bus we had reserved into two, so I could bring twice as many kids to see the free dress rehearsal of The Mikado. Getting enough lunches and enough chaperones was a bit more challenging, but in the end, we showed up with a group of 55. The sponsors of the show seemed a little surprised that we had such a big group, although I was inwardly preening over my kids walking quietly in a straight line, even though they were excited. We stopped just outside the doors and I gave them a quick reminder about concert etiquette, and how you don't whoop or whistle at the opera because it's not a basketball game. One of the women in charge walked over and shook my hand, saying she was at the discussion panel yesterday and wanted to meet me.

So we found our seats (left orchestra), I sent the kids to use the bathroom before it started, and I sank into my chair and took a deep breath, because despite all the craziness of buses and lunches and permission slips, we were here, and I didn't have to stress for about three hours.

There were hundreds of kids there, from all over the city. I am proud to say, when the high school kids were screaming and hooting like banshees, I looked around and saw my kids merely applauding, looking a little disgusted by the noise.

The Mikado is, of course, hilarious, although the actors were definitely hamming up the physical comedy for the kids. Some of the loftier puns and jokes glided right over their heads, so my assistant and I would be giggling madly while the kids stared at us, confused. Overall, it was good times, even when the bus was late getting back, and we arrived partway into sixth period.

I just feel so confident. I kind of wish we could go see performances about once a week. We may not win competitions yet, but my kids know how to behave in an opera house. That is definitely more than they knew last year.

There are times my job empties me, but today it filled me up. Yesterday it filled me up. I want to hold on to this feeling.

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