Science, USC, and Mr. Chris

Today I took my AVID class on a fieldtrip. We went to the California Science Center to watch a really cool 3D Imax movie about the wild ocean off the coast of Africa and visit the CSI Exhibit, and then we walked across the street to get a tour of USC. Just as a side note, I have never been really into the whole USC/UCLA rivalry, but being a UCLA alumn I felt like a traitor today, and my students made sure to rub it in :)
But anyway, the best part of the day was that my husband or Mr. Chris as the student's like to call him, was able to take a day off of work and come. I really love that he could be a part of the trip and see what I do. A lot of teachers like to keep their personal life away from their students, and I really think that that is counterproductive. For students to trust you and respect you, they need to kow that you are a person, and that you care enough about them to share things with them. Now there is definitly a delicate balance that needs to be kept, and oversharing can lead to them thinking that you are friends, which we are not. But anyway, it was a lot of fun for me and the students to have Chris there. He is so wonderful with the student's as well. If you know Chris, you know that he has an amazing way of mixing sweetness and humor into whatever he says and does, and my students really respond to that. He would be a great teacher, and I know he will be a wonderful father one day. Overall, it was a great day!