Got a little time away from the "grind" thanks to my cousin. She invited me up to the lake for a couple of days. It was really nice to spend time with her, her kids, and the water. I have a tendency to begin to crave the sight of water after awhile. After I met with her I met up with Mom in the big city! I picked her up and dragged her around on my errands. Had to do a Costco run and a few other things. Of course on the way home I still had to hit up Wal-mart, Safeway, and Jiffy Lube! I've put quite a few miles on my car this summer.
Today Ma helped me get some work done down at school. I met with an assistant this evening who helped me organize 30 years of school uniforms so we could figure out what was new, old, and otherwise! What needed to stay and what needed to go! I finally feel like I have a handle on that. I have A LOT to get done in the next few weeks and really not enough time to do it in. I guess we all feel like that sometimes. Ma also helped me go on another couple of dump runs. YAY! It is finally getting to the point in my classroom I can see what I need...not just whatever is sitting in front of it!
With my new title comes more planning for an up-coming Volleyball Camp, a town team B-Ball Tournament, Fall Volleyball season, A 13 mile Run, and .... Let's see! Oh yes it sounds like we will have enough students for a Boy's B-ball team, a Jr. High Co-Ed team, and a BIG maybe on the girls B-ball team.
I also have 2 Brand New Curriculums to tackle, a year long STEM class, a U.S. Constitution and School Law class. Yikes... I need more vitamins!!!!!!
July 26, 2012
July 19, 2012
July 16, 2012
Thanks for....
One of the nicest things about summertime is you get to spend a lot less time with people who live and breathe negativity. I will post a picture a staff member left another staff member at work. I actually had to laugh. There is so much complaining that nothing constructive gets done. I think the difference between getting criticism and hearing a whine is what happens when possible solutions are offered. If solutions are not even attempted in any way shape or form, its a whine. If solutions are not offered it is also a whine. There are two sides to the coin. This town is so resistant to change that they really disable themselves from positive change. I think stubbornness can be a great quality if channeled in positive directions. I like that they hold onto a lot of their traditions and ideals. When I spoke with the staff member about the note left with them I had to laugh. We were able to have a good chuckle over it and now it is our "catchphrase"!
I have been taking a brain break from school "stuff". I needed to physically and mentally. I pretty much hit the wall with my immune system. I think I had too much stress for too long. My body finally went from warning flags to shutdown! I will be taking a lot of vitamins and getting it built back up for another busy year. I quit drinking soda which was a huge shock to my system. I was definitely addicted. I was using soda as fuel. Eventually, something had to give. I am fairly certain I am done with soda for life. I keep being offered alternatives like flavored soda water etc. I really don't want a soda substitute, I don't want anything similar to it. It makes the craving for it worse because it reminds me of it. So please no more soda substitute suggestions unless they are nothing like soda.
I have been thinking about a family friend up in Oregon who has been battling breast cancer. I don't think she knows how much she's been on my mind so this is for you J.H.! You are a special lady and I hope you heal quickly, and will be cancer free!
Something I value more everyday is people who are "real". If you are real you are honest, truthful, and you are who you are. I find people who are perpetually worried about appearances exhausting. You find yourself wondering what is true and real. So for all those characters in my life who are "real" thank you! I may not always agree with you but I really appreciate your honesty.
Our new math teacher will be down tomorrow. I am a bit nervous for him because the former math teacher decided to leave all of his stuff and not come back to get it until November. I think we will help the new Teacher box everything up and put it in storage. We being the English teacher and I. It will be hard enough to go through the rest of the stuff that is a disaster in that classroom w/o having to go through the old teachers stuff.
I have been taking a brain break from school "stuff". I needed to physically and mentally. I pretty much hit the wall with my immune system. I think I had too much stress for too long. My body finally went from warning flags to shutdown! I will be taking a lot of vitamins and getting it built back up for another busy year. I quit drinking soda which was a huge shock to my system. I was definitely addicted. I was using soda as fuel. Eventually, something had to give. I am fairly certain I am done with soda for life. I keep being offered alternatives like flavored soda water etc. I really don't want a soda substitute, I don't want anything similar to it. It makes the craving for it worse because it reminds me of it. So please no more soda substitute suggestions unless they are nothing like soda.
I have been thinking about a family friend up in Oregon who has been battling breast cancer. I don't think she knows how much she's been on my mind so this is for you J.H.! You are a special lady and I hope you heal quickly, and will be cancer free!
Something I value more everyday is people who are "real". If you are real you are honest, truthful, and you are who you are. I find people who are perpetually worried about appearances exhausting. You find yourself wondering what is true and real. So for all those characters in my life who are "real" thank you! I may not always agree with you but I really appreciate your honesty.
Our new math teacher will be down tomorrow. I am a bit nervous for him because the former math teacher decided to leave all of his stuff and not come back to get it until November. I think we will help the new Teacher box everything up and put it in storage. We being the English teacher and I. It will be hard enough to go through the rest of the stuff that is a disaster in that classroom w/o having to go through the old teachers stuff.
July 10, 2012
What do you want to be when you grow up?
I hung out with a 3 year old recently and asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up and here were her responses!
Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: An Elephant
Q: What are you going to do when you're an elephant?
A: Eat peanuts!
Q: Where are you going to live?
A: With you!
Q: I will have to build a barn for you Elephants are big!
A: Yep
Q: Elephants are expensive to feed, they eat a lot of food, and it costs a lot of money.
How will I get money to feed you?
A: At the bank
Q: Maybe I will let children ride on your back if they pay me money. Would you like that?
A: Yep!
Sooo there ya go.... when you are thinking about what you want to be when you grow up... Choose something that requires eating peanuts LOL
Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: An Elephant
Q: What are you going to do when you're an elephant?
A: Eat peanuts!
Q: Where are you going to live?
A: With you!
Q: I will have to build a barn for you Elephants are big!
A: Yep
Q: Elephants are expensive to feed, they eat a lot of food, and it costs a lot of money.
How will I get money to feed you?
A: At the bank
Q: Maybe I will let children ride on your back if they pay me money. Would you like that?
A: Yep!
Sooo there ya go.... when you are thinking about what you want to be when you grow up... Choose something that requires eating peanuts LOL
July 2, 2012
Driving...
I haven't been 'bloggin' lately from the road. I drove around in a lot of circles this month but I did get to see a lot of family and friends! So it was worth it. Granny and I got to go to the coast and soak up the salt air. We managed to get there on a day full of sunshine with smooth seas. We had a great time eating on a boat in the Bay! I was able to see some starfish in the tide-pools and stick my toes in the sand. Next time I will not forget to leave home or the hotel with a lawnchair and a kindle!
I had decided to quit caffeine and soda once school was out and my first summer course was finished. In the past this was fairly easy I'd have a few days of headaches and then feel good. This time my body went into some kind of shock. It was not fun and I felt pretty awful throughout the whole process. Sooo I think I am on the no soda for life plan. On my trip I was lucky enough to see my Aunt K. She took me too lunch and ordered a soda ... She thoughtfully asked me if it was like drinking in front of an alcoholic :). I had a couple of giggles over that one.
I also had a nice visit with another Uncle and Aunt and my 2 wee cousins! I forgot to take them "Horse Tunes and Cow Tunes for kids" but they don't have to worry I will be sending it soon. It was great to spend time with family and friends.
Ma and Pa came down south here for a visit and to help me with a few projects. The first one was putting together a couple of Ball Cages.. Dad really, really, enjoyed putting them together. He really hopes that I order a few more that he can come and put together for me. He also helped clean out one of the athletic rooms. He kept saying "you wouldn't believe how much was in there"! I would believe because every single room I have cleaned at this school has had a phenomenal amount of "stuff"! It was exceptionally filthy as well. Lucky Him. Mom helped me make sight word flash cards while doing a mountain of laundry. We worked on cleaning out the Uniform Room. The uniforms date back to the "80's" I think! She was the "Queen of the Laundry" I helped both of them and also worked on the mountain of copying I have to get done. I finished one grade level of all their math tests for the whole year. I started another year but didn't get far before the copier was seriously cranky. I had to do some surgery with a paper clip, a small screwdriver, tweezers, some tape, and some help. A long time ago someone copied something that didn't get completely removed when the copier jammed. For some reason when I copied it worked its way out. I am glad I was able to remove it because it was getting crispy and may have caught fire eventually. The copier and I are perpetually at war. It usually wins!
Since I had some help I also washed some windows. After the last dust storm the windows were really dust ridden. I had a taller person handy to reach those high spots which is really helpful. We had to do a little roof climbing to get the outside but at least the roof is flat!
Hopefully we can get all the projects we started completed before they head back north. I feel like I am making progress...which would have taken 4 times as long with just me doing it. Anyone else want to drive town and help??? You might enjoy a close relationship with the copy machine :)! The weather this week has been great in the 90's during the day. A little bit toasty, but not too bad!
I had decided to quit caffeine and soda once school was out and my first summer course was finished. In the past this was fairly easy I'd have a few days of headaches and then feel good. This time my body went into some kind of shock. It was not fun and I felt pretty awful throughout the whole process. Sooo I think I am on the no soda for life plan. On my trip I was lucky enough to see my Aunt K. She took me too lunch and ordered a soda ... She thoughtfully asked me if it was like drinking in front of an alcoholic :). I had a couple of giggles over that one.
I also had a nice visit with another Uncle and Aunt and my 2 wee cousins! I forgot to take them "Horse Tunes and Cow Tunes for kids" but they don't have to worry I will be sending it soon. It was great to spend time with family and friends.
Ma and Pa came down south here for a visit and to help me with a few projects. The first one was putting together a couple of Ball Cages.. Dad really, really, enjoyed putting them together. He really hopes that I order a few more that he can come and put together for me. He also helped clean out one of the athletic rooms. He kept saying "you wouldn't believe how much was in there"! I would believe because every single room I have cleaned at this school has had a phenomenal amount of "stuff"! It was exceptionally filthy as well. Lucky Him. Mom helped me make sight word flash cards while doing a mountain of laundry. We worked on cleaning out the Uniform Room. The uniforms date back to the "80's" I think! She was the "Queen of the Laundry" I helped both of them and also worked on the mountain of copying I have to get done. I finished one grade level of all their math tests for the whole year. I started another year but didn't get far before the copier was seriously cranky. I had to do some surgery with a paper clip, a small screwdriver, tweezers, some tape, and some help. A long time ago someone copied something that didn't get completely removed when the copier jammed. For some reason when I copied it worked its way out. I am glad I was able to remove it because it was getting crispy and may have caught fire eventually. The copier and I are perpetually at war. It usually wins!
Since I had some help I also washed some windows. After the last dust storm the windows were really dust ridden. I had a taller person handy to reach those high spots which is really helpful. We had to do a little roof climbing to get the outside but at least the roof is flat!
Hopefully we can get all the projects we started completed before they head back north. I feel like I am making progress...which would have taken 4 times as long with just me doing it. Anyone else want to drive town and help??? You might enjoy a close relationship with the copy machine :)! The weather this week has been great in the 90's during the day. A little bit toasty, but not too bad!
June 24, 2012
Summer
Today felt like summer vacation! It was a beautiful sunny day on the coast. I was able to walk on the beach, stick my toes in the sand, see some starfish, and relax. Great day. I don't know why I left home without lawn chairs. Next time I'm bringing lawn chairs and my Kindle. The weather was fabulous... the sea was calm. I think the rain is supposed to be back tomorrow. I hope so... it will make it easier to head leave!
June 20, 2012
Apple Cider Vinegar
If someone suggests Apple Cider Vinegar as the Cure for what ails you. Find every other option available and try that first. I don't think I've ever tasted anything quite as horrible. My eyes cried, my mouth cried, my stomach cried. I am using the word "cried" because I truly feel it was a step up from plain "ole" mouth watering. UGGHHH. Home remedies are something I always take a look at being so far from the store and doctor. Ohhh I oooohhh... ugggh....iiiccckk......yaccckkk.... Find out if you can get it in pill form. Don't subject your taste buds to such cruelty.
June 18, 2012
Saloon Problems
Saloon problems are problems you have only if you live over a saloon! For instance if you get busy don't call home, your cell phone battery dies, you don't notice for quite some time that it died, then you have to charge it........
Your parents assume you have been stabbed/shot/eaten by the locals and they call the sheriff's office to come do a "wellness" check to make sure you're still breathing. Saloon problems!
Saloon problems also include a visit from your "favorite" deputy in the early morning hours! He verifies life and leaves. Saloon problems.
Saloon problems include everyone knowing you're in town based on your car being home. Luckily they are still scared enough of you they don't show up on your doorstep without a prior invitation. What will happen when they aren't scared anymore? Well, that scares me!
I have been creating in my head a list of signs that you've been living in a teeny tiny town tooo long.
1. You know every resident by their car.
2. You know every resident by their dog.
3. You know every resident by where they sit/park at the saloon.
4. You know every resident.
5. The local restaurant has your favorite meal named after you.
6. You have ridiculous urges to go sit on a bar stool and complain!
Don't worry I am not done with this list.... it will continue later....
Your parents assume you have been stabbed/shot/eaten by the locals and they call the sheriff's office to come do a "wellness" check to make sure you're still breathing. Saloon problems!
Saloon problems also include a visit from your "favorite" deputy in the early morning hours! He verifies life and leaves. Saloon problems.
Saloon problems include everyone knowing you're in town based on your car being home. Luckily they are still scared enough of you they don't show up on your doorstep without a prior invitation. What will happen when they aren't scared anymore? Well, that scares me!
I have been creating in my head a list of signs that you've been living in a teeny tiny town tooo long.
1. You know every resident by their car.
2. You know every resident by their dog.
3. You know every resident by where they sit/park at the saloon.
4. You know every resident.
5. The local restaurant has your favorite meal named after you.
6. You have ridiculous urges to go sit on a bar stool and complain!
Don't worry I am not done with this list.... it will continue later....
June 13, 2012
Summer Class
My first class of the summer has me working down at the school all hours. I have 45 hours in total to complete. It shouldn't be hard...but when you are done.. you are done...and I'm done! It is good because I am working on things while they are still fresh in my memory! It isn't good because I have gotten interrupted for other things a lot. It is good because I have gotten a lot done for next year. It isn't good because I am tired. This is good because it will give me time to play with a clear conscience!
We had our first day of Pre-school today with seven students in total. That made me feel like it is really worthwhile! There are a lot of little kiddos running around needing to learn their letters. The location we are holding preschool at is well filthy. It shouldn't be filthy but everyone seems to have a different idea on who is responsible for the cleaning. So I spent about an hour cleaning with my aide before I had to return to class. She spent another couple hours on it and barely made a dent in it.
I need to go have dinner! G'nite
We had our first day of Pre-school today with seven students in total. That made me feel like it is really worthwhile! There are a lot of little kiddos running around needing to learn their letters. The location we are holding preschool at is well filthy. It shouldn't be filthy but everyone seems to have a different idea on who is responsible for the cleaning. So I spent about an hour cleaning with my aide before I had to return to class. She spent another couple hours on it and barely made a dent in it.
I need to go have dinner! G'nite
June 11, 2012
Ignorance ....
Wellllllll what you don't know CAN hurt ya! I called another A.D. in a nearby county to learn what I could learn. He is helping me clear up a lot of my foggy areas. I was mired in fog. He will be a great resource and helped to me. I told him that I was operating on a big basket of ignorance. He definitely is helping support me in gaining some knowledge of my new roll. Thank goodness we do not have more teams that we do. I need a little more experience. I am grateful to those who are willing to help me. I also spoke with a friend in my "old" county who is going to come over and put on a volleyball camp for my girls. So that is pretty exciting. I think they will appreciate it. I seem to be getting a "sigh" of relief from folks that I am doing this job. I don't know what it was like before but it seems like I could mess up pretty badly and it still wouldn't come near the previous messes.
I started a class today which is basically to help you prep for next year in a constructive manner. I definitely need this. So I have hours to do this week and next week. Even with all of those hours I am sure I will spend much much more time on prepping. This class provides some much needed structure. This weekend is a local town festival... I am expecting the bar to be open and the noise to be significant. Feel free to mail me some ear plugs.
A national agency rents out our school for this week to do some training of their new recruits. They camp out on our field in tents, their are trucks everywhere, the gym is full of tables, etc. My classroom has a tent at the back in the "classroom library". So here I am taking a class to prep for next year and working around .... all of that. Also, our school copier is running on its last toe. I purposely did not say last leg...it is way past that. I am praying for a new copy machine A.S.A.P. How can you "prep" without a copier? My printer at school is also out of ink, but no orders go out until July 1st. So I have a lot of handicaps for prepping but that always seems to be the case down here. You just learn to do the best you can with what you have.
I have a house to clean, dishes, and laundry to do. The scary part is I haven't stopped since school got out. I am looking forward to heading North soon for a break.
I started a class today which is basically to help you prep for next year in a constructive manner. I definitely need this. So I have hours to do this week and next week. Even with all of those hours I am sure I will spend much much more time on prepping. This class provides some much needed structure. This weekend is a local town festival... I am expecting the bar to be open and the noise to be significant. Feel free to mail me some ear plugs.
A national agency rents out our school for this week to do some training of their new recruits. They camp out on our field in tents, their are trucks everywhere, the gym is full of tables, etc. My classroom has a tent at the back in the "classroom library". So here I am taking a class to prep for next year and working around .... all of that. Also, our school copier is running on its last toe. I purposely did not say last leg...it is way past that. I am praying for a new copy machine A.S.A.P. How can you "prep" without a copier? My printer at school is also out of ink, but no orders go out until July 1st. So I have a lot of handicaps for prepping but that always seems to be the case down here. You just learn to do the best you can with what you have.
I have a house to clean, dishes, and laundry to do. The scary part is I haven't stopped since school got out. I am looking forward to heading North soon for a break.
June 9, 2012
Graduation
Our graduating class of 2 had a nice ceremony today. What is great is they had to put the whole ceremony together themselves. It was a good exercise in planning for them. They made their own pamphlets, slideshows, order of events, speeches, etc. They served a very nice turkey and ham dinner with jello salads, macaroni salad, rolls, green salad, and more. The speaker was a minister who formerly worked in this community. He did a very nice job. One of the students began with a prayer. A future administrator sat next to me and said "that is against the law". I thought "SO WHAT?" to myself. They ended the ceremony with a prayer as well. The whole thing was created by those two students. If that is what they wanted then "why not"? Their graduating class had a valedictorian and salutatorian :) Yep they did! Made me chuckle.I was there most of the day helping set up and then was there most of the afternoon early evening helping clean up. So it goes at a small school.
June 7, 2012
Winding down...or UP?
Well... we made it through the crazy insanity of the last day of school. Somehow! Today was our teacher work day. I slept in a bit and then went in to work. I was sitting in my classroom unsure of where to start. My brain couldn't check in. I poked my head in my colleague's door. She was having the same trouble so we decided to go clean some of the areas that needed purging. We purged! We got rid of textbooks from the 60's through the 90's. We found rat poop all over the place, and completely outdated materials. I don't think that place has been that thoroughly cleaned since they moved in the building. We also took about 6 loads to the dump. Our volunteer librarian came to drop some things off and couldn't stop grinning. She didn't think she would ever be able to get through all of that. So it was really good. We didn't accomplish much in our classrooms but we did accomplish things for the whole schools benefit. So there ya go. Our classrooms... another day.
I talked with the old AD today and he handed me off fantastic things like a starting pistol, and our school locker room combination list (written on yellow legal paper). Luckily I also spoke to a few other folks and found out that the fall volleyball schedule is usually worked on NOW! Yikes.... soooo I have to make a few calls tomorrow and find out who knows something. The kids also told me they wanted to play more volleyball scrimmages. So I will see what I can do for them.
All of the cleaning we did today reminded me of how much cleaning there is to do throughout the whole school including the Athletic rooms. Oh dear! Does anyone want to come help me??? Please???? sigh....
Preschool starts next week so I met with my aide this evening and thanks to my friend from up north we were able to compile a list of great ideas.Thanks Barb!! I then had to beg and plead for a key to the building where we will be holding preschool. Hopefully, we get it before our first day. Oh my! I start my first class of the summer on Monday. So I will be gathering some materials together to do that. I have no idea what to expect for that the lady organizing it has seemed Very Disorganized..... so hopefully it all comes together.
Saturday is our school graduation. We have two students graduating this year. I will be down at the school tomorrow and Saturday helping them get set up for that. So when you think things are winding down for summer.....not so much!
I talked with the old AD today and he handed me off fantastic things like a starting pistol, and our school locker room combination list (written on yellow legal paper). Luckily I also spoke to a few other folks and found out that the fall volleyball schedule is usually worked on NOW! Yikes.... soooo I have to make a few calls tomorrow and find out who knows something. The kids also told me they wanted to play more volleyball scrimmages. So I will see what I can do for them.
All of the cleaning we did today reminded me of how much cleaning there is to do throughout the whole school including the Athletic rooms. Oh dear! Does anyone want to come help me??? Please???? sigh....
Preschool starts next week so I met with my aide this evening and thanks to my friend from up north we were able to compile a list of great ideas.Thanks Barb!! I then had to beg and plead for a key to the building where we will be holding preschool. Hopefully, we get it before our first day. Oh my! I start my first class of the summer on Monday. So I will be gathering some materials together to do that. I have no idea what to expect for that the lady organizing it has seemed Very Disorganized..... so hopefully it all comes together.
Saturday is our school graduation. We have two students graduating this year. I will be down at the school tomorrow and Saturday helping them get set up for that. So when you think things are winding down for summer.....not so much!
June 5, 2012
Field Trip
We survived another field trip! Whew! Of course on the day we decide to go swimming the weather turns colder. Luckily I made arrangements at both the indoor and outdoor pool. We played at the park and went to the indoor pool. Our bus driver is best described as elderly. He did some creative driving today that had all of our stomachs in our throats and a little shaken. I keep begging parents to get their CDL for at least on field trips. I came home to have some dinner. I need to finish stuff for our awards assembly tomorrow, our field day, and I don't even know what all. It was a good day. I am pooped but don't have time to be pooped. So I'll get it done and collapse later.
June 4, 2012
Dust in the Wind
So I drove North and East for my first day of a class I will be taking all of next year. I left quite early this morning and got there quite early. It did give me a chance to stop at the office supply store though. I picked up another teacher who was dropping off something to get worked on. Then we went. It was a bit of a ho hum beginning. I think this is going to be a very challenging class for me. It is different that what I thought and I really don't know what to expect. I, yes me, volunteered myself to take a class called STEM. S.T.E.M. is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and MATH! What was I thinking??? A little ignorance when you sign up for a class is BLISS. It will be interesting to find out how those disciplines can be taught all at once to say Kindergarteners. I am SOOO In for a few headaches. I am proud of myself for stretching myself. I am stretching myself like "Stretch Armstrong"! Wish me luck and say a few kind words about me when my brain explodes.
The drive home was a little eventful. We get a lot of windstorms this time of year. Windstorms bring dust. Dust and wind equals Dust-storms. It gets quite exciting on the road. Inside your car you can taste the dust in the air. It was blowing about 50 miles an hour. So then I start heading south and it rains just enough to turn the dust to mud on the windshield. So wind, dust, rain, wash. Wind, dust, rain, wash again. That's how it went. Then for a lovely but short while the rain came poring down. Then back to wind, dust, rain, wash. I pulled in the parking lot at school in my school provided vehicle and the dust was amazingly thick on the car. So I made it back home.
Yesterday when I left my house my key turned in my lock and turned, and turned, and turned. Last night when I came home it turned and turned and turned til.... it popped out. I had complained about the lock a long time ago but it wasn't taken care of. I really think someone had attempted at some point to break in and damaged the lock but wasn't successful getting inside. So, I had to make a call leave town and trust that it would be taken care of in a timely manner. Scary eh? I came home to a new lock and a new key in the door.
Tomorrow, we are leaving for a field trip. I have so much to do to get ready for our last day of school and our awards assembly. Somehow, someway... I will get it done. We should find out by the end of this week if our carpet in the classroom is being replaced. This weekend I will be finishing cleaning the classroom.. and preparing for summer preschool, and preparing for a different class that starts next week. Overwhelmed much? Yep YEP! I won't be bored this summer. Granny I am planning on being pleasantly bored for a couple days at the coast with you and a GOOD BOOK! :) Something to look forward to!
The drive home was a little eventful. We get a lot of windstorms this time of year. Windstorms bring dust. Dust and wind equals Dust-storms. It gets quite exciting on the road. Inside your car you can taste the dust in the air. It was blowing about 50 miles an hour. So then I start heading south and it rains just enough to turn the dust to mud on the windshield. So wind, dust, rain, wash. Wind, dust, rain, wash again. That's how it went. Then for a lovely but short while the rain came poring down. Then back to wind, dust, rain, wash. I pulled in the parking lot at school in my school provided vehicle and the dust was amazingly thick on the car. So I made it back home.
Yesterday when I left my house my key turned in my lock and turned, and turned, and turned. Last night when I came home it turned and turned and turned til.... it popped out. I had complained about the lock a long time ago but it wasn't taken care of. I really think someone had attempted at some point to break in and damaged the lock but wasn't successful getting inside. So, I had to make a call leave town and trust that it would be taken care of in a timely manner. Scary eh? I came home to a new lock and a new key in the door.
Tomorrow, we are leaving for a field trip. I have so much to do to get ready for our last day of school and our awards assembly. Somehow, someway... I will get it done. We should find out by the end of this week if our carpet in the classroom is being replaced. This weekend I will be finishing cleaning the classroom.. and preparing for summer preschool, and preparing for a different class that starts next week. Overwhelmed much? Yep YEP! I won't be bored this summer. Granny I am planning on being pleasantly bored for a couple days at the coast with you and a GOOD BOOK! :) Something to look forward to!
June 3, 2012
Weekend and Bicycles
I forgot in my last post to share how our Bicycle Day went. All of my students but one had bicycles. Another student brought an extra from home so that everyone would have one. I made an obstacle course on our playground pavement. They loved it. I learned a lot from that and if I have it again I know how to improve it now. Then I let them go ride around our track. They wore themselves out. A community member brought their snow-cone machine and syrup. The kids loved that treat. What was very interesting is I had a 7 year old student who did not know how to ride a bike at all. This student is athletic and constantly moves. I don't think balance was a skill that he's worked on. I was very surprised. Hopefully, he will have opportunities to learn. It was overall a very successful day. They had a great time.
I went to town this weekend for my current aides Bachelorette party. It really isn't my scene and isn't something I enjoy doing in any way shape or form. I went to be nice. Luckily most of the plans fell through. I was relieved it ended up being shopping and hanging out rather than partying partying and more partying. I really dislike the mall... ALOT. I think I was over mall shopping in the mid-90's. Uggh. We also went to see the dueling pianos. They were good that night! I have been a couple of times and you never know how skilled the players will be. These were pretty good.
I was talking with my former aide about the weekend. I had come to the conclusion... I don't have to be nice and attend these things. My former aide seemed really uncomfortable. I talked with her and realized from our conversation she has completely changed her lifestyle. She felt like attending was a retrograde step for herself. It represented a self she never wanted to be again. I have very strong boundaries and refuse to go do something I am uncomfortable with or feel doesn't match my moral compass. So I didn't feel uncomfortable because of where I am at as an adult. So we chatted about the idea of a bachelorette party. It seems a very unhealthy concept. If you are looking forward to your marriage why is that party something you feel you need? Is there security in your relationship? My former aide said that at the most she would like to have her girl friends over for dinner, chatting, and movies. I will not be attending a bachelorette party again. It was dumb, unhealthy, and pointless. I think my current aide was disappointed we weren't into it more. I think she has some maturing to do.
I am trying to get ready to head to a bigger town for some training tomorrow. I've been trying to check my e-mail to get the place written down I need to go. Of COURSE, for some reason the school e-mail isn't working. Print when you receive information you need!! UGGH! I am being loaned the school vehicle to drive there. YAY! I don't have to pay for gas. YAY! I have a lot of last minute stuff to do before heading that way tomorrow so I'd better sign off.
I went to town this weekend for my current aides Bachelorette party. It really isn't my scene and isn't something I enjoy doing in any way shape or form. I went to be nice. Luckily most of the plans fell through. I was relieved it ended up being shopping and hanging out rather than partying partying and more partying. I really dislike the mall... ALOT. I think I was over mall shopping in the mid-90's. Uggh. We also went to see the dueling pianos. They were good that night! I have been a couple of times and you never know how skilled the players will be. These were pretty good.
I was talking with my former aide about the weekend. I had come to the conclusion... I don't have to be nice and attend these things. My former aide seemed really uncomfortable. I talked with her and realized from our conversation she has completely changed her lifestyle. She felt like attending was a retrograde step for herself. It represented a self she never wanted to be again. I have very strong boundaries and refuse to go do something I am uncomfortable with or feel doesn't match my moral compass. So I didn't feel uncomfortable because of where I am at as an adult. So we chatted about the idea of a bachelorette party. It seems a very unhealthy concept. If you are looking forward to your marriage why is that party something you feel you need? Is there security in your relationship? My former aide said that at the most she would like to have her girl friends over for dinner, chatting, and movies. I will not be attending a bachelorette party again. It was dumb, unhealthy, and pointless. I think my current aide was disappointed we weren't into it more. I think she has some maturing to do.
I am trying to get ready to head to a bigger town for some training tomorrow. I've been trying to check my e-mail to get the place written down I need to go. Of COURSE, for some reason the school e-mail isn't working. Print when you receive information you need!! UGGH! I am being loaned the school vehicle to drive there. YAY! I don't have to pay for gas. YAY! I have a lot of last minute stuff to do before heading that way tomorrow so I'd better sign off.
June 1, 2012
Honesty
The strange and horrible thing about a dishonest person. Is that they can make you feel like you are as dishonest as them, even when you aren't. I weary of dishonesty. I just wish people could do things the right way and nothing would be tainted. It is something I want to be more conscious of. I want to always be sure to go out of my way to do things the honest way.
We had a long arduous staff meeting today. All of our staff meetings make me feel as though nothing I do is valued or makes a difference. I literally have to fight to get my students services that should be given. The excuse I was given today was we have at least a hundred kids at our big school with the same issue. Why is that an acceptable reason to NOT provide services. The other teachers are just as frustrated as you. Okay then why aren't we helping these kids. The answer was dodged artfully and carefully. I am sure it comes down to money. This is part of the reason why public school fails. You say this is an issue again, and again, and again. You are saying the system is broken again, and again, and again. The only response you get is yes it is an issue but you have to follow this system. Even if the system is either broken or doesn't work in certain circumstances. If virtually all of your teachers are saying this doesn't work.. why don't you listen? It isn't one or two who refuse to use it or have bad attitudes. The majority are saying it doesn't work. UGGH As teachers we get the blame if our students don't learn. Period. However, sometimes we are fighting soooooooo unbelievable hard a system we know is broken to get our students what they need to be successful. That is the frustration. We KNOW we should be doing more. We WANT to do more. We just are flying a kite in a hurricane. The hurricane is going to win. The kite might be seen but the hurricane will be seen and HEARD.
I have a tendency to take on too much responsibilities. However, I think we all need to at a small school. The staff simply isn't large enough to spread out the responsibilities. Lately though I've looked around and wondered am I the only one still working? The fact is I have been. I've walked out of my classroom at 3:45 and it is silent. Not a single person in the building. Apparently we don't worry about contract hours here. I think to myself how can they have everything done? Am I less organized than them? Nope I'm not but what I do is actually grade papers not just the "important ones". I don't see how education is ever going to not involve grading. Some of my colleagues seem to think the switch to C.C.S.S. will involve less grading. When I read them and then listen to my Principal... I wonder if we are reading the same sets of standards. I think we all can easily get stuck on one aspect of a new concept instead of looking at the picture as a whole.
Speaking of taking on more responsibility. I was made Athletic Director. I had been asked by our superintendent to do it. I told my principal. My principal didn't share it with the staff. I didn't feel like it was my place to do so. I got a lot of attitude about this. It was being manipulated to go to a certain person. I had a feeling it was being manipulated but I didn't know which person. I was proud of myself when it was brought up I stayed silent. My principal said actually the "super" already promised it to her. The principal then said " he overstepped his bounds by doing so" "that is the principals job". That didn't make me feel very good. The principal wasn't doing the job but allowing others to do it. I was asked, I shared that with my boss, and left it alone. I was letting the chips fall and wasn't going to argue it. It made me feel like I was doing something sneaky. I didn't bring it up to the "super" it was asked of me. It is this kind of stuff that stresses me out. So I will be doing that job next year. It will involve scheduling, hiring coaching staff, organizing athletic events, etc. I will have some learning to do but I am up for the challenge.
Everything I've been through this last year I hope I have learned from. The things I need to work on like keeping my mouth shut :). I was thinking how important it is to have people around you that you respect and value their opinion. The respect is a key component. The more I see with some things the less respect I have. If we all did our jobs to the best of our ability every single day....we'd make great strides. I am glad that I have so many people I can call on to get ideas from. They have the experience and expertise to back up their suggestions. I think I've been yelling out "HELP" and have been instead greeted with criticism, excuses, and avoidance. The people who are doing it and doing it well. I really appreciate their help. Sometimes I feel like my little town is a little island and I can't seem to build a boat and paddle fast enough!
I wish I could stop going to these meetings... see how discouraged I get after one? I need some positivity around me. I have to go into town tomorrow for some car maintenance and a wee bit of shopping. I'm headed to the big city for one night this weekend. Then I have to be in a training on Monday. Tuesday we are going on a field trip, and Wednesday is the last day of school. Thursday is a work day. The following week I am in a class and preschool begins. Here we go summer! Here we go!
We had a long arduous staff meeting today. All of our staff meetings make me feel as though nothing I do is valued or makes a difference. I literally have to fight to get my students services that should be given. The excuse I was given today was we have at least a hundred kids at our big school with the same issue. Why is that an acceptable reason to NOT provide services. The other teachers are just as frustrated as you. Okay then why aren't we helping these kids. The answer was dodged artfully and carefully. I am sure it comes down to money. This is part of the reason why public school fails. You say this is an issue again, and again, and again. You are saying the system is broken again, and again, and again. The only response you get is yes it is an issue but you have to follow this system. Even if the system is either broken or doesn't work in certain circumstances. If virtually all of your teachers are saying this doesn't work.. why don't you listen? It isn't one or two who refuse to use it or have bad attitudes. The majority are saying it doesn't work. UGGH As teachers we get the blame if our students don't learn. Period. However, sometimes we are fighting soooooooo unbelievable hard a system we know is broken to get our students what they need to be successful. That is the frustration. We KNOW we should be doing more. We WANT to do more. We just are flying a kite in a hurricane. The hurricane is going to win. The kite might be seen but the hurricane will be seen and HEARD.
I have a tendency to take on too much responsibilities. However, I think we all need to at a small school. The staff simply isn't large enough to spread out the responsibilities. Lately though I've looked around and wondered am I the only one still working? The fact is I have been. I've walked out of my classroom at 3:45 and it is silent. Not a single person in the building. Apparently we don't worry about contract hours here. I think to myself how can they have everything done? Am I less organized than them? Nope I'm not but what I do is actually grade papers not just the "important ones". I don't see how education is ever going to not involve grading. Some of my colleagues seem to think the switch to C.C.S.S. will involve less grading. When I read them and then listen to my Principal... I wonder if we are reading the same sets of standards. I think we all can easily get stuck on one aspect of a new concept instead of looking at the picture as a whole.
Speaking of taking on more responsibility. I was made Athletic Director. I had been asked by our superintendent to do it. I told my principal. My principal didn't share it with the staff. I didn't feel like it was my place to do so. I got a lot of attitude about this. It was being manipulated to go to a certain person. I had a feeling it was being manipulated but I didn't know which person. I was proud of myself when it was brought up I stayed silent. My principal said actually the "super" already promised it to her. The principal then said " he overstepped his bounds by doing so" "that is the principals job". That didn't make me feel very good. The principal wasn't doing the job but allowing others to do it. I was asked, I shared that with my boss, and left it alone. I was letting the chips fall and wasn't going to argue it. It made me feel like I was doing something sneaky. I didn't bring it up to the "super" it was asked of me. It is this kind of stuff that stresses me out. So I will be doing that job next year. It will involve scheduling, hiring coaching staff, organizing athletic events, etc. I will have some learning to do but I am up for the challenge.
Everything I've been through this last year I hope I have learned from. The things I need to work on like keeping my mouth shut :). I was thinking how important it is to have people around you that you respect and value their opinion. The respect is a key component. The more I see with some things the less respect I have. If we all did our jobs to the best of our ability every single day....we'd make great strides. I am glad that I have so many people I can call on to get ideas from. They have the experience and expertise to back up their suggestions. I think I've been yelling out "HELP" and have been instead greeted with criticism, excuses, and avoidance. The people who are doing it and doing it well. I really appreciate their help. Sometimes I feel like my little town is a little island and I can't seem to build a boat and paddle fast enough!
I wish I could stop going to these meetings... see how discouraged I get after one? I need some positivity around me. I have to go into town tomorrow for some car maintenance and a wee bit of shopping. I'm headed to the big city for one night this weekend. Then I have to be in a training on Monday. Tuesday we are going on a field trip, and Wednesday is the last day of school. Thursday is a work day. The following week I am in a class and preschool begins. Here we go summer! Here we go!
May 29, 2012
Miss C.... Miss C....Miss C
I heard my own name so many times today I wanted to change names. My aide started giggling because it was happening so often. Only 2 days left in this week. I can do it! Yes I can!! I spent the last to days of my long weekend out at the ranch of one of my students. It was so peaceful and quiet. The landlords opened the Saloon for their family and they kept me up till 2:30 a.m. Then the old folks and youngest folks came early the next morning to make breakfast for everyone. I pulled pillows over my head, turned on my fan, and wanted to cry. Perpetual noise is very wearing to a person. I was so glad when they invited me out. The loudest noise was the kids playing outside and the wind blowing through. ahhhhh
I have been working on supplemental work for students to take home over the summer. I don't expect all of the parents will do it. The ones who do will make my job easier in the fall. It isn't much but doing a little practice now and then makes all the difference. I did finally open my new box of curriculum. I didn't have time to dive into it but I drooled a little over the books.
I had my proposal approved that I sent to the Superintendent. So that means I will be teaching preschool this summer. (What was I thinking?) I won't be doing it every week my aide and I are going through our summer schedules together. We will trade on and off depending on what we each have going and when. I also found a location to have it. The school has so much going on this summer for maintenance it can't happen there. So we were brainstorming ideas...and finally thought of the most obvious choice. The youth center! It just happens to be about 2 doors down from me on the same block. Nice and convenient. It is in town so everyone can get there easily, it has a bathroom, running water, and plenty of SPACE! Yay!
I am thrilled. I talked to the president of the youth center board and she unofficially approved it but was going to talk with the other board members. I know I am a nut for taking this on but the community really, really, needs it. If I don't make it happen...it won't happen. So as if I didn't have enough going this summer I add to it.
A warning light came on, on my car. Soooo I reset the computer according to my brothers instructions. It sounds very impressive but was super easy. (once I figured out how to put an attachment on my ratcheting wrench). Anyhow, then It came back on so I was figuring out where to take it. Then I found out my from my favorite trooper that he has a chip reader. So he's going to check out what codes are being triggered. Then hopefully I will know what the problem is before taking it to get fixed. Hopefully it is a cheap fix.
I almost dozed off there so I'm signing out....
I have been working on supplemental work for students to take home over the summer. I don't expect all of the parents will do it. The ones who do will make my job easier in the fall. It isn't much but doing a little practice now and then makes all the difference. I did finally open my new box of curriculum. I didn't have time to dive into it but I drooled a little over the books.
I had my proposal approved that I sent to the Superintendent. So that means I will be teaching preschool this summer. (What was I thinking?) I won't be doing it every week my aide and I are going through our summer schedules together. We will trade on and off depending on what we each have going and when. I also found a location to have it. The school has so much going on this summer for maintenance it can't happen there. So we were brainstorming ideas...and finally thought of the most obvious choice. The youth center! It just happens to be about 2 doors down from me on the same block. Nice and convenient. It is in town so everyone can get there easily, it has a bathroom, running water, and plenty of SPACE! Yay!
I am thrilled. I talked to the president of the youth center board and she unofficially approved it but was going to talk with the other board members. I know I am a nut for taking this on but the community really, really, needs it. If I don't make it happen...it won't happen. So as if I didn't have enough going this summer I add to it.
A warning light came on, on my car. Soooo I reset the computer according to my brothers instructions. It sounds very impressive but was super easy. (once I figured out how to put an attachment on my ratcheting wrench). Anyhow, then It came back on so I was figuring out where to take it. Then I found out my from my favorite trooper that he has a chip reader. So he's going to check out what codes are being triggered. Then hopefully I will know what the problem is before taking it to get fixed. Hopefully it is a cheap fix.
I almost dozed off there so I'm signing out....
May 26, 2012
Memorial Day
I was thinking about all of the men who served in the Military in my own family and close friends. There were sacrifices they made that I do not know of and probably can't comprehend.
I expect snow on Memorial Day weekend at this point. I wasn't expecting 8-9 inches of snow with it still falling. On one half of main street the power is out which includes the only decent cafe and our 2 gas stations. So it has been a little entertaining watching travelers come through dazed and confused. The motorcyclists are freezing their patooties off. I made some hot cocoa to take to my favorite ladies at the closed cafe. They had just left but I found them. So for their 30-45 minute drive home they can have a hot drink. I have a little bit of an entrepreneurial spirit. I was thinking I could have made a lot of money selling hot cocoa at the closed gas station. I would've needed a helper to heat water, and bring it down. Oh well maybe on the next snow storm in May.
My landlords came out for the weekend and opened up the saloon for their family and friends. So I was woken up to ABBA this morning. No one should EVER have to wake up to ABBA. Well maybe inmates. ABBA morning,noon, and night for them. Yep, great punishment. So I am not exactly having a quiet weekend. I may have to run down to school for that. I don't know if the power is on at the school though. So, the weather has definitely dictated me doing laundry, dishes, and getting ready for the end of year.
I expect snow on Memorial Day weekend at this point. I wasn't expecting 8-9 inches of snow with it still falling. On one half of main street the power is out which includes the only decent cafe and our 2 gas stations. So it has been a little entertaining watching travelers come through dazed and confused. The motorcyclists are freezing their patooties off. I made some hot cocoa to take to my favorite ladies at the closed cafe. They had just left but I found them. So for their 30-45 minute drive home they can have a hot drink. I have a little bit of an entrepreneurial spirit. I was thinking I could have made a lot of money selling hot cocoa at the closed gas station. I would've needed a helper to heat water, and bring it down. Oh well maybe on the next snow storm in May.
My landlords came out for the weekend and opened up the saloon for their family and friends. So I was woken up to ABBA this morning. No one should EVER have to wake up to ABBA. Well maybe inmates. ABBA morning,noon, and night for them. Yep, great punishment. So I am not exactly having a quiet weekend. I may have to run down to school for that. I don't know if the power is on at the school though. So, the weather has definitely dictated me doing laundry, dishes, and getting ready for the end of year.
May 25, 2012
"I'll never understand teachers"
So I stopped at the post office to pick up some much anticipated packages like "Hank the Cowdog's Greatest Hits", a couple of cookbooks, NRA stickers, and curriculum! The curriculum box was quite heavy with books! I was pretty excited and said "Yay, new curriculum." The postmaster said "I'll never understand teachers" and shook his head with a dash of perplexity and much disgust. I smiled and went on my way. I started listening to "Hank the Cowdog's Greatest Hits Volume I & II" and realized this joy was best shared with my students and an aspirin. I've shared "Horse Tunes For Kids" with my students and I really love that one. I don't think ol' Hank's tunes are quite as melodious. The kid's will LOVE IT! uggh! Our new "Traveling Bus" comes with a CD player... so we may be listening to some tunes on the road. We will test it on our next trip. I have no idea if it actually works.
So my new box of curriculum. I ordered it based on my cousins recommendation. It is a Social Studies Curriculum from Sonlight. I am very excited to open the box. I promised myself as soon as I cleaned house and did laundry that would be my reward. I am soooo lucky to work in a place that I have some freedom to choose curriculum. It makes me feel like I am giving my students some quality options. I also received this last week the spelling curriculum I will begin to use next year. I am going to learn many new things from this curriculum so that is wonderful as well. I have a lot of reading to do this summer to prepare myself for teaching it. I feel better about this coming school year because I DO have time to prepare. YAY!
What else do I know?? Well my engine had a warning light come on. All my manual says is to go to your dealer. So now it is a Holiday weekend... I have to figure out how serious this is and if I can drive 111 miles to the nearest place that can work on it. The joys of living in the boonies.
So my new box of curriculum. I ordered it based on my cousins recommendation. It is a Social Studies Curriculum from Sonlight. I am very excited to open the box. I promised myself as soon as I cleaned house and did laundry that would be my reward. I am soooo lucky to work in a place that I have some freedom to choose curriculum. It makes me feel like I am giving my students some quality options. I also received this last week the spelling curriculum I will begin to use next year. I am going to learn many new things from this curriculum so that is wonderful as well. I have a lot of reading to do this summer to prepare myself for teaching it. I feel better about this coming school year because I DO have time to prepare. YAY!
What else do I know?? Well my engine had a warning light come on. All my manual says is to go to your dealer. So now it is a Holiday weekend... I have to figure out how serious this is and if I can drive 111 miles to the nearest place that can work on it. The joys of living in the boonies.
May 24, 2012
Baseball
Well we went to the Big City to watch the Baseball game. It was a long ride there. We have a new travel bus! The seats are much more comfortable in this one! There are even overhead racks. It came with a bathroom but the School District tore it out! Maybe they didn't want to deal with emptying the tank. I don't know but what a bummer! The seats are higher than the old bus so the little guys were constantly wanting to stand in their seats to see what was going on. The Baseball game was billed "Education Day" with baseball related instructional activities. The activity was a worksheet. A WORKSHEET! Seriously? I didn't have my kids do the multi-page worksheet. They were just excited to be at the park. So we checked it out and found our seats. A couple of the players came to chat with the schools visiting and even that was lack-luster. They were definitely told you will do this! So that wasn't very interesting! Then the game finally started and sno-cones and cotton candy started rolling around. Yeah....not happening Kiddos! They whined, begged, pleaded, negotiated....and their mean teacher never stopped saying "NO".
My students don't really know even the basic rules of baseball. So I pointed things out and asked them questions. That lasted for awhile and they were very bored. Luckily the park had a "Bouncy House" and a playground. We visited that twice and then it was time to go. My colleague bought her daughters cotton candy in front of all the other kids after I had told my class nope! Of course the other kids were very upset. All I could say was "Wow, that really isn't fair is it?" I was pretty ticked off. I am so lucky with my students. They really accept the boundaries I lay down. I thought that was very rude. The day was a hot one so I constantly applied sunscreen and made sure they drank often.
When we arrived home I was hot, stinky, sweaty, dirty, and tired. My shower felt fabulous! When possible I will be avoiding field trips with my colleague. It is just a headache I really do not need! The kids were very tired the next day and so was I! It is a very good thing that we have a four day weekend. I can catch up on everything from laundry to school stuff.
My proposal was submitted to the Superintendent so hopefully I will find out something very soon. I will keep you posted. A large local business donated some funds to help purchase curriculum. The lady who works in the donations department asked me to let her know the next time we had an event at school. I asked her to come to our final awards assembly. She said she would come so I am really looking forward to meeting her. Our principal will not be joining us that day. Hopefully, the other teachers make some kind of effort. We hired a new math teacher who will be joining us at our last PLC. I am really relieved he can attend. I was worried we would be making scheduling decisions on his behalf, and I really didn't think that was right. I am trying not to be stressed about the last meeting but it will be interesting. My colleague wants to change the whole plan so she doesn't have as many students to teach. Which would add more to my schedule and the high school schedule. All of us have a lot and find it difficult at times. She isn't unique or alone in that regard. I don't know....what it will look like...or what will happen. I want to say "quit whining and do your job". We'll see.
I have made a few of my own decisions about next year. I decided to do math first thing in the morning and then after our a.m. recess doing reading. I am also changing the time of our recess. I didn't really ever like the time but I changed it to be flexible for others. The problem is it isn't working for me or my students. So that is going out the window! Afternoons will be writing, social studies, and science.
We also worked on planning our "Field Day" on the last day of school. Hopefully the weather co-operates and is nice. You never know. The teacher who is on his way out promised to pick up some things for field day. We are nervously trusting he will follow through and show up. Well at least follow through with what he is bringing even if he decides not to show up! Anyhow, I'd better go
My students don't really know even the basic rules of baseball. So I pointed things out and asked them questions. That lasted for awhile and they were very bored. Luckily the park had a "Bouncy House" and a playground. We visited that twice and then it was time to go. My colleague bought her daughters cotton candy in front of all the other kids after I had told my class nope! Of course the other kids were very upset. All I could say was "Wow, that really isn't fair is it?" I was pretty ticked off. I am so lucky with my students. They really accept the boundaries I lay down. I thought that was very rude. The day was a hot one so I constantly applied sunscreen and made sure they drank often.
When we arrived home I was hot, stinky, sweaty, dirty, and tired. My shower felt fabulous! When possible I will be avoiding field trips with my colleague. It is just a headache I really do not need! The kids were very tired the next day and so was I! It is a very good thing that we have a four day weekend. I can catch up on everything from laundry to school stuff.
My proposal was submitted to the Superintendent so hopefully I will find out something very soon. I will keep you posted. A large local business donated some funds to help purchase curriculum. The lady who works in the donations department asked me to let her know the next time we had an event at school. I asked her to come to our final awards assembly. She said she would come so I am really looking forward to meeting her. Our principal will not be joining us that day. Hopefully, the other teachers make some kind of effort. We hired a new math teacher who will be joining us at our last PLC. I am really relieved he can attend. I was worried we would be making scheduling decisions on his behalf, and I really didn't think that was right. I am trying not to be stressed about the last meeting but it will be interesting. My colleague wants to change the whole plan so she doesn't have as many students to teach. Which would add more to my schedule and the high school schedule. All of us have a lot and find it difficult at times. She isn't unique or alone in that regard. I don't know....what it will look like...or what will happen. I want to say "quit whining and do your job". We'll see.
I have made a few of my own decisions about next year. I decided to do math first thing in the morning and then after our a.m. recess doing reading. I am also changing the time of our recess. I didn't really ever like the time but I changed it to be flexible for others. The problem is it isn't working for me or my students. So that is going out the window! Afternoons will be writing, social studies, and science.
We also worked on planning our "Field Day" on the last day of school. Hopefully the weather co-operates and is nice. You never know. The teacher who is on his way out promised to pick up some things for field day. We are nervously trusting he will follow through and show up. Well at least follow through with what he is bringing even if he decides not to show up! Anyhow, I'd better go
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