What's everyone up to right now?

[Excited Penguin]

Be as affable as possible, Alex. Believe me, your attitude might actually have life altering consequences. Take umbridge in the fact that you are, in fact, changing their lives, whether to a smaller or greater extent. 

We are talking about (high-) school here, right?

NO!!
Please!!! ALEX, don't use Umbridge as an example of anything that involves teaching!!

Jesus Christ. My English is getting rusty. 

Anyone know what I meant to say there? 

---

The closest thing I can find is umbrage... But that means taking offense. I was sure there was a similar word meaning comfort. What am I thinking of? Or am I really that stupid?

[pocaracas]

Jesus Christ. My English is getting rusty. 

Anyone know what I meant to say there? 

---

The closest thing I can find is umbrage... But that means taking offense. I was sure there was a similar word meaning comfort. What am I thinking of? Or am I really that stupid?

hehe... yeah, you meant to say comfort.
When you want synonyms, next time, try a thesaurus:
http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/comfort?s=t

[Excited Penguin]

Jesus Christ. My English is getting rusty. 

Anyone know what I meant to say there? 

---

The closest thing I can find is umbrage... But that means taking offense. I was sure there was a similar word meaning comfort. What am I thinking of? Or am I really that stupid?

hehe... yeah, you meant to say comfort.
When you want synonyms, next time, try a thesaurus:
http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/comfort?s=t

I know about thesaurus. It's a good resource, and not just for non-native speakers, but I rarely find myself using it. 

I don't think I meant comfort, but I might have. Thanks.

[Alex K]

a quantum of solace maybe?

[Edwardo Piet]

Consolation.

[Alex K]

Yep, I got that going for me. It still was a shit day... as predicted

Be as affable as possible, Alex. Believe me, your attitude might actually have life altering consequences. Take umbridge in the fact that you are, in fact, changing their lives, whether to a smaller or greater extent. 

We are talking about (high-) school here, right?

Yes they are, 11th and 12th graders. And indeed I am, I'm always willing to see the person and offer to help them even when they piss me off. That's important to me, and if I didn't do that any more, I might just as well do a different job.

[pocaracas]

I once considered going into teaching... I thought about going for the 7th~9th grades, where the kids are learning the cool core concepts in maths: equations, functions and stuff with letters.
Get this stage right, and everything that comes later becomes a breeze!

[Excited Penguin]

Be as affable as possible, Alex. Believe me, your attitude might actually have life altering consequences. Take umbridge in the fact that you are, in fact, changing their lives, whether to a smaller or greater extent. 

We are talking about (high-) school here, right?

Yes they are, 11th and 12th graders. And indeed I am, I'm always willing to see the person and offer to help them even when they piss me off. That's important to me, and if I didn't do that any more, I might just as well do a different job.

I wouldn't have said anything if I didn't already know you'd be doing it for them and that you get pleasure from that fact. I merely wanted to offer some insight from my own experience as a student. Sometimes teachers seem to forget about this little fact, that their behavior matters on how their students will relate to the subject, and that's especially true with such traditionally difficult and unpopular things like math. Keeping that in mind and making a genuine effort everyday to get through to everyone will get you results that you'll remember forever. And they will too. 

[Alex K]

I once considered going into teaching... I thought about going for the 7th~9th grades, where the kids are learning the cool core concepts in maths: equations, functions and stuff with letters.
Get this stage right, and everything that comes later becomes a breeze!

I have the feeling they are at this"later" stage, and it's not a breeze for many of them.

[BrokenQuill92]

My dad is trying to find the meat in his vegetarian burrito I'm sitting here waiting for him to figure it out. I love my dad. Haha.