October Challenge.

After another busy week the weekend rolls around and I am trying to find the energy/motivation to get to work. I have almost finished assessments for the end of quarter and have to finish putting grades in.  We survived school-wide picture day, staff pictures, class, student pictures,  earthquake drill, and evacuation drill. A colleague of mine had a student lose complete control of their bowels during the class photo. That wasn't a great start to her day. A colleague also went to a training on our state assessments we are required to do. I had some answers to questions and verification on thoughts I'd had about the assessments. I sense some more changes going on based on her other training. I hope it leads to positive changes and not more work that I can't keep up with. When you try to change everything at once it leads to a lot of stress.

My challenge this year was absent for several days due to a death in the family. I think the students and I all kind of breathed a sigh of relief. I caught a student allowing another student to cheat off their paper. I had to ask the student to have a chat. I asked the student why this was  a problem the response "Because it won't help his/her brain grow if he/she doesn't do it him/herself."  I said "YES!" We chatted a bit more and I hope this doesn't occur again. I've talked to the students about how our brains grow and make new connections when we struggle through something. Even if it is hard it is good for our brain.  I wasn't sure that lesson had sunk in, but apparently it had.

Parent teacher conferences are the challenge of  October. You think you know who will be a problem and who will not be. Usually I am wrong. It is a stressful time. Then you have to reboot every 15 minutes and get ready for the next parent. It isn't easy.  The high school FBLA is doing another fall fundraiser by making us dinner for a fee and delivering it on parent/teacher conference week. It is  worth every penny! Friday is a day off of school for our state. It is in celebration of our Statehood. It is nice to have a day off after the marathon of conferences.  The week after conferences is Halloween Week. This means a lot of sugar highs and sugar lows.

Most of our team met at a colleagues last night for a taco dinner. We all brought ingredients. It was really fun and relaxing to hang out together. It was a great way to finish the week.