Wow, finally a few minutes to be able to come back to this thing.

I've been feeling like I was fighting a losing battle here.  For the first few weeks, I noticed I was timid to try anything new - and last semester that was a workable approach because I had motivated and mostly well-behaved students with classroom routines that worked.  This semester it's not like that at all.  I can't keep their attention without being creative, so I have to be creative.  On one level it's good because I am learning how to make use of some different strategies, but planning, creating materials and props, teaching the actual classes and grading it all is....well, one thing I've learned is that a 5-hour energy drink provides an additional 12 hours of sleep deprivation.