Wow! What a busy week this has been! I knew we’d be busy, but I didn’t exactly visualize how busy we’d be. Perhaps after all of the “technical” stuff, things will settle down. Or, after I finish packing up my classroom for the move to a new one, I’ll feel lots better about everything.
Actually on Monday night, I felt ambitious and went in to work on packing and sorting. By the time Tuesday late afternoon came, I was bushed so I began reading my book for Book Club A. On Wednesday after getting my new parking pass, I felt obligated to return to school to complete the process–or to make a bigger dent in the process. My colleague Mary came over to help while my husband Larry gave his undivided attention to Mary’s only grandchild. The guys went outside until dark and returned to go to the gym to shoot baskets. They both returned with a mutual admiration for each other and discovered a common interest in snacking while Mary and I talked about not overdoing their eating. Needless to say, we were ignored.
Tonight I am planning on returning to the scene. There’s not a whole lot left to do–file important papers and pack others for sorting in August. It’s amazing what one collects over the year. What Mary and I laughed a lot over were our boxes of IAA materials/portfolios/activities we’ve been collecting each year and filing away with a note attached–“to be sorted.” We now have quite a collection of those “to be sorted” boxes but we agreed that it would be more fun to do it in August with a new perspective rather than trying to get things done after a rather difficult year.
While in moments of exhaustion, I have considered dropping out, I know I cannot because I’m not a quitter. I think the weekend will bring new energy for next week.
Pat Brown's Weblog 
I understand what you are saying. It is very difficult to put thing in order after a school year. I always feel that if getting something took me so long when I needed, I should be able to keep it for the next time I needed.
Claudia Fradkin
Comment by cfradkin — June 12, 2008 @ 9:06 pm |
I shoved everything in to drawers and cabinets the first week of June. I’m not thinking about what that mess will look like to me in August. August perspective will help. I know your case is different because you have to move.
Judy
Comment by jlpece — June 13, 2008 @ 6:28 pm |
While I was reading your blog, I thought of myself and all the work that I had to do before walking out of my school building. I worked for hours trying to take apart a museum that my kids had put on for the entire school at the end of the year and organizing the parts of the museum that I wanted to save for future groups of students. Then, on top of this trying to pack up my own mess of unorganized stacks papers that I managed to collect over the last few weeks of school. It is amazing that I have collected so much in such a short time. I struggle with myself because I am not able to throw things away as other people are able to do. It seems so easy for some to simply get rid of things. However, I have this plaguing problem of thinking that things will be useful in the future and therefore end up keeping too many things. I have often asked myself if this is a personality flaw or a terrific strategy for the teacher with everything imaginable in her classroom?
Comment by jarazi — June 13, 2008 @ 9:02 pm |
Your handout of the terminology will be very helpful for planning a lesson. I really enjoyed the Literary Terms & Definitions. Thanks
This book seems to be an excellent source to use as a metaphor for inner city students living in the ghetto or crime infested areas.
Comment by Delores Lloyd — June 26, 2008 @ 4:43 pm |