Life with 1 prep (instead of 2)

Today I started teaching my extra Geography class. It went pretty well other than the fact that I feel so out of place in the random classroom I get to teach in, I have no supplies in that random classroom- not even books, I get to put books on a cart and roll them from my room to the other which really sucks! It was nice however having a class of less than 25 students! I'm sure of course that my class will grow but I will enjoy it while it lasts! Now I get to just wait and see who they switch out of my other class...

Week 3, Moving and Man I am Nuts!

I have survived three weeks as a teacher... just barely. All my classes are going great with the exception of 1.. but that will be changing soon! My school is packed with students and to compensate they have had to add a few classes to the schedule which also means they have had to find teachers to teach these extra classes... and you guessed it, I am one of them. I am giving up one of my prep periods to teach another geography class. It isn't quite as bad as it may seem since I am already teaching geography so I don't have an extra prep just another 40 students whose papers I will have to grade. Adding this extra class will thankfully get some of the terrors out of my crazy class, which also happens to be the biggest reason I said I would do it- and the extra money is nice too! I start teaching the new class next week so it will be interesting to see how it goes.

Last weekend I finally moved. I spent most of last week cleaning up the apartment and painting. It is amazing the difference that has made! Now I just need to get my landlord to fix the remaining few things and things will be great. I have been so busy with school and all that I still haven't had time to unpack my stuff. I still have a HUGE pile of stuff just chillin' in the living room. Good thing I don't get many visitors! I have been slowly organizing and putting things away but I think it is still going to be a while before it gets to where I can relax and not have to think about it!

I think I am officially nuts. When I went back to work at the hospital this summer I told them I would help out and fill in one weekend a month when Michelle, one of the girls in PBX has to do her one weekend a month for the reserves. So, this weekend, Friday and Saturday, I get to spend my nights working the grave yard shift at the hospital. I'm kind of excited because it means I have time to grade papers and hopefully get some lessons planned... of course this is assuming that I can stay coherent enough to do all that work!

Another Day

For the most part today was a pretty good day. I finally taught my 7th grade foreign language class some Italian. I had a lot of fun with it and it seemed like they did as well because they were all participating and it was great! My last class was much better today than it was last week but it is still nowhere near what I would like it to be. I guess it is going to take a lot of extra work so I will just keep trying everything I can think of.

Today I talked to my landlord and he said he would take care of the problems in the apartment I am moving into so I guess the move is still on. I will be painting and cleaning the rest of this week (in all that spare time I have- because as a teacher I never have anything to do you know! lol) the carpets are getting cleaned Friday so I can move in after that! It will be nice to have a place of my own again. I know I say that a lot but I am really excited and I think it is about time!

So, with school and moving my list of to do's keeps getting longer... Man! I think I need a personal assistant to help me with it all... too bad I'm too poor to pay for one! Hahaha... guess I gotta have something to laugh at!

Photo Story Friday

My friend Pam told me about Photo Story Friday a REALLY long time ago. But I am just now figuring out how it works and how to play so here we go!


Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I posted this photo earlier but it just makes me smile each time I look at it. I love sunflowers and I love taking pictures of them and this one just came out beautifully!These photos just make me think of Tuscany and how beautiful the simplicity in nature can be!

Thanks Pam!

What a Way to Spend a Friday Night...

I really do think I need to get a life! I talked to my landlord today about moving into my new apartment. I offered to clean it and paint the walls in exchange for some help on the rent. Since my landlord HATES cleaning apartments and he doesn't want me to move out since I 'have always been a good tenant' (his words not mine)- he agreed. I think he got the good end of the deal on this one! The guy that just moved out was not one who took care of his place very well I guess you could say. This is supposed to be a non smoking building but he ALWAYS smoked in there, he is from India so he only knew how to cook cury, and he was always burning incense. So needless to say, the whole apartment stinks- REALLY badly. I opened all the windows today and the door and within 10 minutes the entire building smelled like that apartment. The blinds, which were brand new and white when he moved in, are now nasty yellow from tobacco stains. Luckily he broke them so my landlord will have to replace them. I started cleaning the kitchen tonight. I spent about 2 hours just wiping down the walls and the stove. Ya, I'm so not excited to start on the bathroom! Hopefully tomorrow I can get the majority of it done and maybe some of the painting... the carpets are getting cleaned next Friday then I can move in after that! Yay! It will be nice to finally have a place of my own again. A place where I have room to put my stuff and not have to worry about being over taken by metal sculptures and who knows what else! Don't get me wrong, I love my roommate- probably the best roommate I have ever had- but I am ready to spread out a bit and not be confined to one room!

I have survived!

My first week as a teacher has officially ended. After school got out today we had meetings for about 2 hours... all new stuff... People would ask how I was doing and all I could say was "My brain hurts!!!" Over all, it has been a great week. I have learned a lot of what to do and more importantly, what not to do! I have already started the list of things to do differently next year. I have a few students who are definately going to give me a run for the money. I have already had to send them to the "Behavior Nazi" as I call her. She is the one in charge of detention and all that good stuff. She is amazing! Pretty hardcore and the kids are terrified of her. My mission this weekend is to think of something to help these choice students in my class.

For the most part all of my classes are great. It is fun to see the students eager to learn... granted not all of them are but I am doing my best to make it interesting and challenging for each of them... which is so much harder than you would think!

I am so grateful I have such amazing co-workers who work together and are more than willing to help out in anyway they can. It has been a real relief and life saver. There is so much to do it is amazing! My brain just never stops. It is constantly going about 100 miles an hour, thinking of ideas things I should have done that I didn't, how I can change things next year or even tomorrow, thinking what can I do to better manage my classroom, how in the world can I make 40 desks fit in my room and still have room to move....- in the car, in the shower, when I'm eating, even when I am sleeping- it's ridiculous! I think I need a life!

I think one of the best things about teaching is that every day is a new day. Hell, when you are a secondary ed teacher every hour is a new hour! It makes it nice because one class can be terrible and the next can cheer you right back up.

So, over the weekend I get to continue working and preparing for the up coming week. Hopefully I can think of a good idea to help with managing my class... before it gets completely out of control (one class in particular... most of them are great!) So it is definately going to be a full weekend!

Head Spinning, Watch For Falling Debris!

It's only hump day and my head is spinning so fast I don't know up from down at this point. There is always so much to do and not enough time to do it! I am beginning to find that I am one of the very first people to school and the last to leave... Do I really have that much to do?!?! I don't want to be stuck at home doing all my work and stressing myself out too much so I try to do as much as I can while I am there.

I am really excited because today I figured out a game plan for my advisory class. An Olympics theme that focuses on major themes found in the games- respect for self and others, hard work, team work, racism, tolerance, and the list goes on and on.... It should be fun. Thanks for your help Ramon! Hopefully it works like I picture it in my head... ok ya, probably won't but we are gonna try anyway!!!