Despite the fact that we do not officially have to go in until Thursday, I have been inundated with requests from my principal and content coach to come in starting today. We started getting the mass e-mails requesting our presence last week. Good thing that ever since the first year I have created the habit of being out of town until the day before we go back. Everyone seems to know that I leave town right after we get out and I don’t return until the week we begin again so I haven’t been hassled too much this year. Many of my colleagues have been back since last week, which is totally up to them, but I purposely leave my closets really organized with all my ‘beginning of the year’ supplies ready so it’s been a snap coming back in. I’d rather stay late on the first few days than go in one second early.
I have spent some time this week at home looking at my curriculum, trying to block out a better system for covering things than I did last year. I also created a new, more concise parent letter and student questionnaire. Lastly, and the thing I am most proud of, is that I spent a lot of time creating a website for my students to go to if they want lists of homework assignments, info about whatever we’re covering in class, links to the online grade system so they can log-in and check their progress, etc etc. That took me forever, but I think it’s going to be really useful for those who choose to check it out.
I have been trying to think positively about the new year since I am still feeling wishy-washy about going back. I have spent some time remembering favorite students, or ones I feel I achieved something with. It’s been working a bit, but I think the thing that will make the biggest impact is putting my foot down and telling the Almighty Admin I will not, under any circumstance, take a student teacher. I am just not ready for it, it’s only my 4th year! It cheated everyone involved last year because I was so stressed that I wasn’t able to give the time deserved to the students or my student teachers. I think I will be a better teacher, and ultimately more prepared to handle helping someone else learn to do this if I give myself more time to develop. I hope the they can suck it up and understand that.
