“I don’t know why I’m SO nervous!” I explained, “I’ve literally stood in front of many of you hundreds of times… Do you know this will be my 5th subject I’ve taught W?” I was rambling. I do that sometimes when standing in front of a class full of students. Today was worse than normal.

L interjected with what she thought was a clever pun, “So what you’re saying is that you’re approaching your limit with W?”

In a rare moment of clarity I quipped back an even better line, “No, with W, my limit approaches infinity.” The class erupted in cheers as this was no chemistry pun. This was no chemistry class.

This was Calculus, and I just dropped one of the greatest calc puns of all time. If you don’t get it, that’s fine. You probably just didn’t take Calculus (like normal sane people). Un?fortunately, I did. Actually, my content area major in college wasn’t science… it wasn’t even chemistry (though that was my minor). It was math, so I took not only Calc 1, but all the way to the end with Calc 4.

The question becomes, on this day, why exactly was I teaching calculus?! The answer is short, but very complicated: Next term, I’m going to BE teaching Calculus. This was my practice lesson!

Our seasoned, expert AP Calc teacher is due for a home assignment as his daughter is due with their first grandbaby! He and his wife live in an elementary school boys dorm, so he needs not only his role in the clac classroom covered, he also needs a fill in for his dorm. Here’s where the complications start… the folks coming to ‘cover’ the dorm aren’t math teachers. BUT, one of them is a Middle School science teacher! Our middle school science teachers is one of those expert science teachers who can teach any science, so she is swapping out her science 8 for my chemistry 11. Me? Welp, next term I’ll have AP Calc AB (essentially Calc 1), AP Calc BC (essentially calc 2), AP Chem (normal for me) and AP Chem lab (an elective that runs concurrently with AP chem for one term).

Am I crazy? Maybe. Am I exited? Maybe. Am I sad to give up the students I’ve been teaching? Maybe. Am I excited to get kids I’ve taught bunches back? Maybe. Am I nervous? Maybe.

Either way, this marks a fun new adventure and exciting challenge. And if it’s terrible? Well, here’s the even more exciting part… at the end of term 2 it’s my turn for a home assignment! So, when I wrap up AP Curriculum, there is a big huge light at the end of the tunnel, and it looks like easy access to Starbucks, Doritos, best friends, my home church community, and of course, my family. I’m not entirely sure what “Home Assignment” fully means yet, but I do know it means I’ll get to see a bunch of you! I know it means re-engaging my home culture, and resting from this crazy life abroad. It does mean saying goodbye to my puppy for a while, but since it means seeing my people, it’s worth it.

I’ll be based on the East side of the state, but spending lots of time back and forth to the West Side. I’ll hopefully be reaching out and connecting with many of you as I begin making plans first with my supporting churches, then with my incredible support system of people.

While planning a few months home doesn’t require someone to know Calculus, it’s almost MORE daunting of a task to me! I’d love your prayers as I begin to plan and figure out what needs to get on the calendar, and for when.

Yes, I did take a bunch of calc, but that doesn’t mean I remember it all- I’d also LOVE your prayers as I spend some time in the next few weeks prepping for this new challenge.