Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Jumbled thoughts...

I would love to see a brain scan of my mind...not simply during the day but during the night too! I've woken up in the middle of the night the past few nights thinking about morning work and Literacy centers. I can't seem to shake this funk I'm in...eat, sleep, work--the classroom is all I'm thinking about, and boy can it be overwhelming and draining. (Is it dedication...or crazy?)

My mental to do list and jumbled thoughts are...in no particular order...


- tomorrow's faculty meeting
- presenting our school-wide mail system at said meeting

- our Thanksgiving potluck on Sunday (I get sucked in to Pinterest in my quest for new desserts..and then subsequently get overwhelmed by the options...ingredients..level of complexity given this weekend's packed schedule...)

- Reader's Workshop Professional Development day Friday in Middleboro
- sub plans to leave for Friday in the hope that the mild chaos that ensued last week when I was out does not repeat itself
- drafting the invitation for the school's faculty holiday party of which I am a co-committee chair
- my mother-in-law's birthday dinner here tomorrow night
- acclimating a new student to our class (after our previous new student left us after a mere 2 weeks...)
- report cards next week
- creating a literacy unit test from scratch
- completing homework for Tuesday's math class

- getting back in shape post Vegas

but alas... no matter the chaos and unpredictability of the workday...

It all comes down to this...


Vegas on 11/10/11

Monday, November 7, 2011

Rush. Rush. Rush.

Too many hours have been lost (productively though) on teacher blogs the past two weeks.

While it's been a blessing getting my hands on great task cards and seasonal projects and templates teachers are more than willing to share through their blogs, teacherspayteachers.com and teachersnotebook.com...it sure can become overwhelming.

We have 7845962 tasks and curriculum standards to creatively execute in a time span much shorter than we would like. Rush. Rush. Rush. Not a minute to waste! Sad really. I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed and second-guessing the activities we've been doing, constantly contemplating if it is the best use of our time. With new books, resources, and ideas coming at us constantly, I feel as though I am tweeking, revamping, and reconsidering all aspects of our classroom and routine. Ready to feel confident again about my teaching. Less stressing and more enjoying.

The amount of professional development that has taken me from the classroom has been both a blessing and a curse. The new ideas, templates, and philosophies peak my interest and have me reconsider my classroom and curriculum, yet it takes me out of the classroom a great deal and stresses me to no end. What's the best approach? How can I make that happen in my classroom? Are they being challenged enough? What scaffolding will they need? Should I be doing this? or should I be doing that?

With a promise to post more about life outside the classroom soon, we're off to Vegas for Pat and Daniella's wedding in 6 hours!