Sunday Scaries #4

 It is 9:25 pm and I hope to be in bed by 9:30 pm

Today, there was no so much Sunday Scaries as there was

"Ah, there is so much to do!" Scaries.

I am tired. Very tired. With cross-country almost every day, and meets on Saturdays - there is no real day of rest. Next week is much of the same with practice M-Th and an early morning meet on Saturday. And we have not really hit the middle of the season.

I should be prepared for tomorrow - but who knows until I get to school. What did I forget? 

Sunday Scaries #3

Hmmmmmm.....well, I thought I wrote something last week over the Labor Day weekend, but I did not.

Last week - I remember relaxing. I got really into the Gina LaManna Kate Rosetti series and I read alot. But then I also remember feeling very stressed on Tuesday, when I was trying to prep for class, and advisory, and back-to-school night. I had a conversation with a colleague - is it better to use the weekend to relax and recharge? even if it means chaos and late nights during the week. I don't know.....The work will get done. Somehow. But I do like feeling more prepared at work.

This weekend, I feel a little better about things. The cross-country meet wasn't until the afternoon, so I had Saturday morning to relax and clean the house. Last night, I prepped my daily slides. Today was meant for grading - as I have SO MUCH GRADING (note the all caps). I have graded some things, but there is still alot to do. I hope to at least get the quizzes graded tonight. You know, the quizzes that the kids took on the third day of school. Ugh! I should be done already.

On the family call, I got to observe my teenage niece struggle with her Spanish homework. Although I experience 8th grade every day, I am so glad that I am not in middle school. Life is so frustrating when you are a teenager. She and my sister were stuck in Puerto Rico until Wednesday, so 1 missed day of schoolwork (which is alot) turned into 2 missed days. That makes things a little overwhelming. Where adults have strategies to get the work done, I try to remember what I would do if I were 13. How do you learn that it is okay to talk to your teachers about this kind of stuff? I do remember being afraid of alerting the teacher of the overwhelm. Wouldn't they be mad? But I try to be the kind teacher. I try to be approachable to students, especially the shy ones. Anyway, I hope she takes my advice. Email your teacher and go to see them for help.

I also noticed that if Amari had been in my classroom, I probably would have handled it differently. I feel like my default with her is advice mode. Where no teenager wants that. I should listen more and let her come to her own conclusions. She is a smart cookie - she will get it. 7th grade will bring more challenges. Her response was that "everyone" wasn't taking a language and definitely not at the higher level. It would be okay to drop it or even drop down to the lower level. And it might be - I have no idea. She is busy with sports and training. But how do you know if she needs to be more gritty or if it is better to lessen the overwhelm? 

Sunday Scaries #2

 August 27, 2023

Another Sunday! and another day where it is late in the day, but I don't feel completely ready for the week. I've got tomorrow - since it is a repeat of Friday. But I haven't really planned the rest. Sigh!

I did remember that thing that I wanted to try - apparently, I moved into my newly created "things to try this year" folder. Ha! Forgot about that. Anyway, it was the Polar Bear and Seals activity with dice. Kids roll the dice, and I tell them how many polar bears and seals. Then they have to figure out the rules. I completely messed up in the first class - I couldn't do the simple math. But I got into it for the next class. In the third class, it was a struggle - that class is going to be tough with many needy kids. Basically, kids couldn't figure it out and they checked out. It was funny when one kid realized the face I made when doing simple arithmetic in my head. "She is doing math!" Also, there were several sets of pairs that could not work together. But the final class got it. There was such joy and cheers when each group figured out the answer. This is why I teach.

Cycle 1, Day 3 - Of course, instead of just using what I created the year before, I decided to redesign what I had and create a "Lab Notebook" That meant a long night and making it perfect. It seemed to go well in the first 2 classes, so I am glad I did the work. But still.....

Sunday Scaries #1

 August 20, 2023

Well, I meant to write first thing in the morning. I want a relaxing Sunday routine - wake up late, eat breakfast, read, and sit down to write.

I think I am a writer?

I believe I have a book in me and the best way to get it out is to write. The things that you value are the things you put time into. Or something like that. That is not quite the sentiment I am going for. I will be a better writer.....if I write.

But now it is past 8 pm and I should be winding down and relaxed. Instead, I am frantically looking at my to-do list and trying to complete all the things.

The first two days are a blur - faces - are you on my team? I think that we have a plan down that makes it not feel like the kids are with us for the entire day. We meet our advisory, head up to convocation, and do a 15-minute rotation. By the final group - I was tired and ready for lunch. After lunch and Assembly, we do an art project - so it is calm and sitting in an A/C classroom for about 1 hour. The second day was all about the music video - about 1 hour of work time. Then they went away to Enrichment, Lunch, and Music. Finally, we watched the videos - This year was GREAT!

Now, I am about to start the science curriculum. I can't help but feel like there is something I want to try