10 Days to Go!

Well, here we are again. The end of another year. This will wrap up my fifth full year of teaching, so I've reached the point that 50% of all new teachers never reach. Yay! I still love teaching. I just wish I had realized I would love it a little earlier in life. I will be in my mid-sixties before I can get a full retirement. Oh well, as long as I enjoy it I can't complain.

Many of the kids have slowed way down (more than usual)or completely stopped trying and it is frustrating because I am still in go mode. I am determined to continue teaching until we start reviewing for exams and it is a real battle. Our district is not affluent and the classrooms are not air conditioned. As we live in Michigan, this should not be a problem but when we start to get hot, humid days near the beginning of June, the classrooms can be sweltering. By the last hour of the day, the kids look dazed (more than usual).

I spent a couple of months on layoff notice for next year, but now that one of the high school math teachers has announced her retirement, I have already returned to full-time status. That, of course, is very good. However, I have spent the last five years teaching middle school math (pre-algebra/algebra) and next year I will begin teaching Algebra II and Pre-calculus classes. That, of course, is very bad. Just when I felt like I had established a years worth of good, reusable lesson plans for the three middle school math courses, and no longer felt like I spent each day flying by the seat of my pants, I have to start over again. With so many teachers facing layoff, I truly am thankful to have a full-time position, but I still have to bitch a little bit.

I am working on a master's degree in special education. I finished six credit hours during the winter semester and will complete six more this summer. Thankfully, each 3-credit hour class is concentrated into full-day, three-week sessions, so they won't drag out over the whole summer. What I have learned has already affected the way I interract with my students so I am glad I chose SpEd.

Well, time to grade papers so I can have the weekend to myself!