recovering from new years

this is what I'm doing today...

1. nothing
2. sitting on the couch
3. looking at stuff online
4. updating my music
5. reading

guilt

Is it weird that I feel guilty for waking up at 10:30am on my vacation? It is a Wednesday.

Tomorrow I will set my alarm. 9am it is!

I'm just reading here people

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Small Victories

Had my parent-teacher-student-counselor conference today. Sigh 'o' relief.

I was a little nervous because the first parent-teacher conference didn't go so well. I got splattered to the floor by a well-to-do doctor who scheduled a meeting with me so that she could make it clear, without telling me outright, that she knew I was a new teacher and that she would be on to my every move. Fun stuff.

So today went much better. The parents were very supportive and I feel optimistic that we got the student on board with the plan as well.

After the meeting I talked with the counselor for about an hour. She was really helpful and gave me some great tips that I plan to use asap.

Then I rushed out to my ACP (Alternative Certification Program) class and took a practice PPR. Scored an 81 without studying a lick. Not too shabby.

Today I had a brief moment of relief and optimism. I was able to envision my classroom as a well-oiled machine. I appreciate the people that offer me the encouragement and remind me that I'm on my way to that place. I appreciate the people that remind me that I've only been doing this for 8 weeks now and no one can be an expert at anything in only 8 weeks. It's just I see these teachers out there doing such incredible things and I just want to be there...be like them. It's hard for me to reconcile to the fact that getting to that point takes time. Baby steps.

So I guess for now, I'll just take the small victories and give them great big bear hugs.

Columbus Day - Saved by the Bell

Usually at this time of day I have a good amount of anxiety building in my chest. Sunday nights go by so quickly and Mondays are the start to a long week.

Don't get me wrong...It's not that I don't enjoy what I'm doing, it's just that I don't really enjoy what I'm doing...yet. Is it wrong for me to admit that? I feel OK about it. I don't think it means I made the wrong choice, it just means I haven't come into my own quite yet. I would be stressed if I thought I was never going to get there. I'm sure I will, I just don't know when.

But tonight is different. Tonight I don't have the same images flashing through my head of the kid-filled hallways and yelling teachers. Tonight I'm not quite scrolling through a never ending checklist in my mind of all the things I need to do the next day. Tomorrow is Columbus Day and that means it's a teacher In-service day and that means I don't have to deal with any kids. (Yay.)

Let me explain what teacher in-service means. It's basically a day where we attend classes all day to teach us how to teach, provide new techniques and so on. And so what's even better about tomorrow, is that unfortunately enough, the teacher who was going to conduct the particular in-service training session I was supposed to attend is in the hospital and won't be able to facilitate. So each English team is meeting on their campus to plan together for the up-coming six weeks instead. Which really just means, we have a "work day". That means I'll have the entire school to myself to plan, grade papers, make copies, roller blade up and down the hallway...whatever. It means no kiddos!

I'm really grateful that Columbus decided to discover, what he thought was America, tomorrow. Thanks Chris. I need the break.